310 ME. SPONGE'S SPOETING TOUE. 



find me — and let you find me." So saying, he walked away, leaving 

 Jogglebury petrified at his impudence. 



" That husband of yours is a monstrous good fellow," observed 

 Mr. Sponge to Mrs. Jogglebury, who he now met coming out with 

 her tail ; " he will insist on my having my horses over here, — 

 most liberal, handsome thing of him, I'm sure ; and that reminds 

 me, can you manage to put up my servant ? " 



" I dare say we can," replied Mrs. Jogglebury, thoughtfully. 

 " He's not a very fine gentleman, is he?" asked she, knowing that 

 servants were often more difficult to please than their masters. 



" Oh, not at all," replied Sponge ; " not at all, — wouldn't suit 

 me if he was, — wouldn't suit me if he was." 



Just then up waddled Jogglebury, puffing and wheezing like a 

 stranded grampus ; the idea having just struck him that he might 

 get off on the plea of not having room for the servant. 



" It's very unfortunate (wheeze), — that's to say, it never occurred 

 to me (puff), but I quite forgot (gasp) that we haven't (wheeze) 

 room for your (puff) servant." 



" Ah, you are a good fellow," replied Mr. Sponge—" a devilish 

 good fellow. I was just telling Mrs. Jogglebury — wasn't I, Mrs. 

 Jogglebury ? — what an excellent fellow you are, and how kind 

 you'd been about the horses and corn, and all that Sort of thing, 

 when it occurred to me that it mightn't be convenient, p'raps, to 

 put up a servant ; but your wife assures me that it will ; so that 

 settles the matter, you know — that settles the matter, and I'll now 

 send for the horses forthwith." 



Jog was utterly disconcerted, and didn't know which way to turn 

 for an excuse. Mrs. Jogglebury, though she would rather have 

 been without the establishment, did not like to peril Gustavus 

 James's prospects by appearing displeased ; so she smilingly said 

 she would see and do what they could. 



Mr. Sponge then procured a messenger to take a note to Hanby 

 House, for Mr. Leather, and having written it, amused himself for 

 a time with his cigars and his " Mogg " in his bedroom, and then 

 turned out to see the stable got ready, and pick up any information 

 about the hounds, or anything else, from anybody he could lay hold 

 of. As luck would have it, he fell in with a groom travelling a 

 horse to hunt with Sir Harry Scattercash's hounds, which, he said, 

 met at Snobston Green, some eight or nine miles off, the next day, 

 and whither Mr. Sponge decided on going. 



Mr. Jogglebury's equanimity returning at dinner time, Mr. 

 Sponge was persuasive enough to induce him to accompany him, 

 and it was finally arranged that Leather should go on with the 

 horses, and Jog should drive Sponge to cover in the phe-a-ton. 



