286 MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



west side of the house, on the morning that Sir Harry had 

 announced his intention of asking him. 



" Confounded ass," assented Seedeybuck, from between the whiffs 

 of his cigar. 



" Dash it ! one would think he had more money than he knew 

 what to do with," observed the first speaker, "instead of not 

 knowing where to lay hands on a halfpenny." 



" Soon be who-lwop" here observed Quod, with a shake of the 

 head. 



" Fear so," replied Seedeybuck. " Have you heard anything 

 fresh ? " 



"Nothing particular. The County Court bailiff was herewith 

 some summonses, which, of course, he put in the fire." 



" Ah ! that's what he always does. He got tired of papering 

 the smoking-room with them," replied Seedeybuck. 



" Well, it's a pity," observed Quod, spitting as he spoke ; " but 

 what can you expect, eaten up as he is by such a set of rubbish." 



" Shockin'," replied Seedeybuck, thinking how long he and his 

 friend might have fattened there together. 



"Do you know anything of this Mr. Sponge ?" asked Captain 

 Quod, after a pause. 



" Nothin'," replied Seedeybuck, " except what we saw of him 

 here ; but I'm sure he won't do." 



" Well, I think not either," replied Quod ; " I didn't like his 

 looks — he seems quite one of the free-and-easy sort." 



" Quite," observed Seedeybuck, determined to make a set against 

 him, instead of cultivating his acquaintance. 



" This Mr. Sponge won't be any great addition to our party, I 

 think," muttered Captain Bouncey to Captain Cutitfat, as they 

 stood within the bay of the library window, in apparent contem- 

 plation of the cows, but in reality conning the Sponge matter 

 over in their minds. 



" I think not," replied Captain Cutitfat, with an emphasis. 



" Wonder what made Sir Harry ask him ! " whispered Bouncey, 

 adding, aloud, for the bystanders to hear. " That's a fine cow, 

 isn't it ? " 



"Very," replied Cutitfat, in the same key, adding, in a whisper, 

 with a shrug of his shoulders ; " wonder what made him ask half 

 the people that are here ! " 



" The black and white one isn't a bad un," observed Bouncey, 

 nodding his head towards the cows, adding in an undertone ; 

 "most of them asked themselves, I should think." 



" Admiring the cows, Captain Bouncey ? " asked the beautiful 

 and tolerably virtuous Miss Glitters, of the Astley's Royal Amphi- 

 theatre, who had come down to spend a few days with her old 

 friend, Lady Scattercash. " Admiring the cows, Captain 



