172 ME., SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



in charge of the servant ; while Wake, and Fyle, and Archer, who 

 were also of the party, scanned the countenances of the surround- 

 ing idlers, to see in whose hands they had best confide their nags. 



In Lord Scamperdale stamped, followed by his trainband bold, 

 and Maria, the maid, being duly stationed in the passage, threw 

 open the parlour-door on the left, and discovered Mrs. Springwheat 

 sitting in attitude. 



" Well, my lady, and how are you ? " exclaimed his lordship, 

 advancing gaily, and seizing both her pretty hands as she rose to 

 receive him. " I declare, you look younger and prettier every 

 time I see you." 



" Oh ! my lord," simpered Mrs. Springwheat, " you gentlemen 

 are always so complimentary." 



"Not a bit of it ! " exclaimed his lordship, eyeing her intently 

 through his silver spectacles, for he had been obliged to let Jack 

 have the other pair of tortoiseshell-rimmed ones. 



" Not a bit of it," repeated his lordship. " I always tell Jack 

 you are the handsomest woman in Christendom ; don't I, Jack ? " 

 inquired his Lordship, appealing to his factotum. 



" Yes, my lord," replied Jack, who always swore to whatever his 

 lordship said. 



"By Jove ! " continued his lordship, with a stamp of his foot, 

 " if I could find such a woman I'd marry her to-morrow. Not 

 such women as you to pick up every day. And what a lot of 

 pretty pups ! " exclaimed his lordship, starting back, pretending 

 to be struck with the row of staring, black-haired, black-eyed, 

 half-frightened children. " Now, that's what I call a good entry," 

 continued his lordship, scrutinising them attentively, and pointing 

 them out to Jack : "all dogs — all boys, I mean ? " added he. 



"No, my lord," replied Mrs. Springwheat, laughing, "these 

 are girls," laying her hand on the heads of two of them, who were 

 now full giggle at the idea of being taken for boys. 



" Well, they're devilish handsome, anyhow," replied his lordship, 

 thinking he might as well be done with the inspection. 



Springwheat himself now made his appearance, as fine a sample 

 of a man as his wife was of a woman. His face was flushed with 

 the exertion of pulling on his tight boots, and his lordship felt the 

 creases the hooks had left as he shook him by the hand. 



" Well, Springey," said he, " I was just asking your wife after 

 the new babby." 



"Oh, thank you, my lord," replied Springey, with a shake of 

 his curly head ; " thank you, my lord ; no new babbies, my lord, 

 with wheat below forty, my lord." 



" Well, but you've got a pair of new boots, at all events," 

 observed his lordship, eyeing Springwheat's refractory calves 

 bugging over the top3 of them. 



