ME. SPONGE'S SPOETING TOUE. 147 



" Why, that was just what I thought," replied Lord Scamper- 

 dale, taking another tumbler of gin ; " that was just what I 

 thought — the fellow can ride, and we can't prevent him ; and just 

 as I settled that in my sleep, I thought I saw him come staring 

 along, with his great brown horse's head in the air, and crash right 

 a-top of old Lablachc. But I sec my way clearer with him now. 

 But help yourself," continued his lordship, passing the giu-bottle 

 over to Jack, feeling that what he had to say required a little 

 recommendation. " I think I can turn Frosty 's information to 

 some account." 



" I don't sec how," observed Jack, replenishing his glass. 



" I do, though," replied his lordship ; " but I must have your 

 assistance." 



" Well, anything in moderation," replied Jack, who had had to 

 turn his hand to some very queer jobs occasionally. 



" I'll tell you what /think," observed his lordship. "I think 

 there are two ways of getting rid of this haughty Philistine — this 

 unclean spirit — this 'bomination of a man. I think, in the first 

 place, if old Chatterbox knew that he had nothing, he would very 

 soon bow him out of Jawleyford Court ; and, in the second, that 

 we might get rid of him by buying his horses." 



"Well," replied Jack, " I don't know but you're right. Chatter- 

 box would soon wash his hands of him, as lie has clone of many 

 promising young gentleman before, if he has nothing ; but people 

 differ so in their ideas of what nothing consists of." 



Jack spoke feelingly, for he was a gentleman who was generally 

 spoken of as having nothing a-year, paid quarterly ; and yet he 

 was in the enjoyment of an annuity of sixty pounds. 



" Oh, why, when I say he has nothing," replied Lord Scamper- 

 dale, " I mean that he has not what Jawleyford, who is a bumptious 

 sort of an ass, would consider sufficient to make him a fit match 

 for one of his daughters. He may have a few hundreds a year, but 

 Jaw, I'm sure, will look at nothing under thousands." 



" Oh, certainly not," replied Jack ; " there's no doubt about 

 that." 



" Well, then, you see, I was thinking," observed Lord Scamper- 

 dale, eyeing Jack's countenance, " that if you would dine there 

 to-morrow, as we fixed — " 



" Oh, dash it ! I couldn't do that," interrupted Jack, drawing 

 himself together in his chair like a horse refusing a leap ; "I 

 couldn't do that — I couldn't dine with Jaw not at no price." 



" Why not ? " asked Lord Scamperdale ; " he'll give you a 

 good dinner— fricassees, and all sorts of good things ; far finer i'aro 

 than you have here." 



" That may all be," replied Jack, " but I don't want none of 

 his food. I hate the sight of the fellow, and detest him fresh every 



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