100 MB. SPONGE'S SPOBTING TOUB. 



of me," continued Jawleyford, pointing to a bust above the 

 fireplace, on the opposite side of the gallery ; " done some years 

 since — ten or twelve, at least — not so like as this, but still like. 

 That portrait up there, just above the 'Finding of Moses,' by 

 Poussin," pointing to a portrait of himself attitudinising, with his 

 hand on his hip, and frock-coat well thrown back, so as to show 

 his figure and the silk lining to advantage, " was done the other 

 day, by a very rising young artist ; though he has hardly done me 

 justice, perhaps — particularly in the nose, which he's made far too 

 thick and heavy ; and the right hand, if anything, is rather 

 clumsy ; otherwise the colouring is good, and there is a consider- 

 able deal of taste in the arrangement of the background, and so 

 on." 



" "What book is it you are pointing to ? " asked Sponge. 



" It's not a book," replied Mr. Jawleyford, " it's a plan — a plan 

 of this gallery, in fact. I am supposed to be giving the final order 

 for the erection of the very edifice we are now in." 



" And a very handsome building it is," observed Sponge, think- 

 ing he would make it a shooting-gallery when he got it. 



" Yes it's a handsome thing in its way," assented Jawleyford ; 

 " better if it had been water-tight, perhaps," added he, as a big- 

 drop splashed upon the crown of his head. 



" The contents must be very valuable," observed Sponge. 



" Very valuable," replied Jawleyford. " There's a thing I gave 

 two hundred and fifty guineas for — that vase. It's of Parian 

 marble, of the Cinque Cento period, beautifully sculptured in a 

 dance of Bacchanals, arabesques, and chimera figures : it was 

 considered cheap. Those fine monkeys in Dresden china, playing 

 on musical instruments, were forty ; thoses bronzes of scara- 

 mouches, on or-molu plinths were seventy ; that or-mulu clock, of 

 the style of Louis Quinze, by Le Roy, was eighty ; those Sevres 

 vases were a hundred — mounted, you see, in or-molu, with lily 

 candelabra for ten lights. The handles," continued he, drawing 

 Sponge's attention to them, "are very handsome — composed of 

 satyrs holding festoons of grapes and flowers, which surround the 

 neck of the vase ; on the sides are pastoral subjects, painted in the 

 highest style — nothing can be more beautiful, or more chaste." 



"Nothing," assented Sponge. 



" The pictures I should think are most valuable," observed 

 Jawleyford. " My friend Lord Sparklebury said to me the last 

 time lie was here — he's now in Italy, increasing his collection — 

 ' Jawleyford, old boy,' said he, for we are very intimate — just like 

 brothers, in fact ; ' Jawleyford, old boy, I wonder whether your 

 collection or mine would fetch most money, if they were Christie- 

 &-Manson'd.' ' Oh, your lordship,' said I, ' your Guidos, and 

 Ostades, and Poussins, and Velasquez, are not to be surpassed.' 



