MB. SPONGE'S SFORTING TOUR. 243 



about the trim lawns, were hunted and caught, while a heavy roller 

 passed over the Kensington gravel, pressing out the hoof and 

 wheelmarks of the previous day. The servants were up betimes, 

 preparing the house for those that were in it, and a dejeuner a la 

 fourcheite for chance customers, from without. 



They were equally busy at the stable. Although Mr. Bragg did 

 profess such indifference for Mr. Sponge's opinion, he nevertheless 

 thought it might perhaps be as well to be condescending to the 

 stranger. Accordingly, he ordered his whips to be on the alert, to 

 tie their ties and put on their boots as they ought to be, and to 

 hoist their caps becomingly on the appearance of our friend. 

 Bragg, like a good many huntsmen, had a sort of tariff of polite- 

 ness, that he indicated by the manner in which he saluted the 

 field. To a lord, he made a sweep of his cap like the dome of St. 

 Paul's ; a baronet came in for about half as much ; a knight, to a 

 quarter. Bragg had also a sort of City or monetary tariff of 

 politeness— a tariff that was oftener called in requisition than the 

 " Debrett " one, in Mr. Puffington's country. To a good " tip," 

 he vouchsafed as much cap as he gave to a lord ; to a middling 

 " tip " he gave a sort of move that might either pass for a touch 

 of the cap or a more comfortable adjustment of it to his head ; a 

 very small " tip " had a forefinger to the peak ; while he who gave 

 nothing at all got a good stare or a Good morning ! or something 

 of that sort. A man watching the arrival of the field could see 

 who gave the fives, who the fours, who the threes, who the twos, 

 who the ones, and who were the great O's. 



But to our day with Mr. Puffington's hounds. 



Our over-night friends were not quite so brisk in the morning 

 as the servants and parties outside. Puffington's " mixture " told 

 upon a good many of them. Washball had a headache, so had 

 Lumpleg ; Crane was seedy ; and Captain Guano, sea-green. 

 Soda-water was in great request. 



There was a splendid breakfast, the table and sideboard looking 

 as if Fortnum and Mason or Morel had opened a branch 

 establishment at Hanby House. Though the staying guests could 

 not do much for the good things set out, they were not wasted, for 

 the place was fairly taken by storm shortly before the advertised 

 hour of meeting ; and what at one time looked like a most 

 extravagant supply, at another seemed likely to prove a deficiency. 

 Each man helped himself to whatever he fancied, without waiting 

 for the ceremony of an invitation, in the usual style of fox-hunting 

 hospitality. 



A few minutes before eleven, a "#0w%B,antaway," accompanied 

 by a slight crack of a whip, drew the seedy and satisfied parties to 

 the auriol window, to see Mr. Bragg pass along with his hounds. 

 They were just gliding noiselessly over the green sward, Mr. Bragg 



ii 2 



