9G ME. SPONGE'S SPOETING TOUR. 



playing a sort of aaolian harp amongst the towers, pinnacles, and 

 irregular castleisations of the house ; while the old casements 

 rattled and shook, as though some one were trying to knock 

 them in. 



" Hang the day ! " muttered Sponge from beneath the bed- 

 clothes. " What the deuce is a man to do with himself on such a 

 day as this, in the country ? " thinking how much better he would 

 be flattening his nose against the coffee-room window of the 

 Bantam, or strolling through the horse-dealers' stables in 

 Piccadilly or Oxford-street. 



Presently the over-night chair before the fire, with the picture 

 of Jawleyford in the Bumperkin yeomanry, as seen through the 

 parted curtains of the spacious bed, recalled his over-night specu- 

 lations, and he began to think that perhaps he was just as well 

 where he was. He then " backed " his ideas to where he had left 

 off, and again began speculating on the chances of his position. 

 " Deuced fine girls," said he, " both of 'em : wonder what he'll 

 give 'em down ? " — recurring to his over-night speculations, and 

 hitting upon the point at which he had burnt his lips with the 

 end of the cigar — namely, Jawleyford's youth, and the possibility 

 of his marrying again if Mrs. Jawleyford were to die. " It 

 won't do to raise up difficulties for one's-self, however," mused 

 he ; so, kicking off the bedclothes, he raised himself instead, 

 and making for a window, began to gaze upon his expectant 

 territory. 



It was a terrible day ; the ragged, spongy clouds drifted heavily 

 along, and the lowering gloom was only enlivened by the 

 occasional driving rush of the tempest. Earth and sky were 

 pretty much the same grey, damp, disagreeable hue. 



" Well," said Sponge to himself, having £azed sufficiently on 

 the uninviting landscape, " it's just as well it's not a hunting day 

 — should have got terribly soused. Must get through the time 

 as well as I can — girls to talk to — house to see. Hope I've 

 brought my Mogg," added he, turning to his portmanteau, and 

 diving for his "Ten Thousand Cab Fares." Having found the 

 invaluable volume, his almost constant study, he then proceeded 

 to array himself in what he considered the most captivating 

 apparel ; a new wide-sleeved dock-tail coatee, with outside pockets 

 placed very low, faultless drab trousers, a buff waistcoat, with a 

 cream-coloured once-round silk tie, secured by red cornelian 

 cross-bars set in gold, for a pin. Thus attired, with " Mogg " in 

 his pocket, he swaggered down to the breakfast-room, which he 

 hit off by means of iistening at the doors till he heard the sound 

 of voices, within. 



Mrs. Jawleyford and the young ladies were all smiles and 

 smirks, and there were no symptoms of Miss Jawleyford's hauteur 



