324 



MB. SPONGE'S SPOUTING TOUR. 



CHAPTER XL VI. 



COUNTRY QUARTERS. 



IR HARRY 

 SCATTER- 

 CASH'S were 

 only an ill- 

 supported 

 pack of 

 hounds ; they 

 were not kept 

 upon any 

 fixed princi- 

 ples. We do 

 not mean to- 

 say that they 

 had not plenty 

 to eat, but 

 their manage- 

 ment was only 

 of the scrim- 

 maging order. 

 Sir Harry was 

 what is techni- 

 cally called, 

 "going it." 

 Like our noble 

 friend, Lord 

 Hardup, now Earl of Scamperdale, he had worked through 

 the morning of life without knowing what it was to be troubled 

 with money ; but, unlike his lordship, now that he had 

 unexpectedly come into some, he seemed bent upon trying how 

 fast he could get through it. In this laudable endeavour he was 

 ably assisted by Lady Scattercash, lately the lovely and elegant 

 Miss Spangles, of the " Theatre Royal, Sadler's Wells." ' Sir- 

 Harry had married her before his windfall made him a baronet, 

 having, at the time, some intention of trying his luck on the 

 stage, but he always declared that he never regretted his choice ; 

 on the contrary, he said, if he had gone among the " duchesses," 

 he could not have suited himself better. Lady Scattercash could 

 ride — indeed, she used to do scenes in the circle (two horses and a 

 flag) — and she could drive, and smoke, and sing, and was 



LADY SCATTERCASH. 



