60 MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



"Why," observed Mr. Sponge, thoughtfully, "you know horse3 

 are always ready money." 



" True," replied Thornton ; " at least that's the theory of the 

 thing ; only my friend is rather peculiarly situated at present." 



" I suppose Mr. Waffles is your man ? " observed Mr. Sponge, 

 rightly judging that there couldn't be two such flats in the place. 



" Just so," said Mr. Thornton. 



"I'd rather take his 'stiff' than his cheque," observed Mr. 

 Sponge, after a pause. " I could get a bit of stiff clone, but a 

 cheque, you see — especially a post-dated one — is always objected 

 to." 



" Well, I dare say that will make no difference," observed Mr. 

 Thornton, "'stiff,' if you prefer it — say three months ; or perhaps 

 you'll give us four ? " 



" Three's long enough, in all conscience," replied Mr. Sponge, 

 with a shake of the head ; adding, " Bullfrog made me pay down 

 on the nail." 



"Well, so be it, then," assented Mr. Thornton ; "you draw at 

 three months, and Mr. Waffles will accept, payable at Coutts's." 



After so much liberality, Mr. Caingey expected that Mr. Sponge 

 would have hinted at something handsome for him ; but all Sponge 

 said was, " So be it," too, as he walked away to buy a bill-stamp. 



Mr. Waffles was more considerate, and promised him the first 

 mount on his new purchase, though Caingey would rather have 

 had a ten, or even a five-pound note. 



Towards the hour of ten on that eventful day, numerous 

 gaitered, trousered, and jacketed grooms began to ride up and 

 down the High-street, most of them with their stirrups crossed 

 negligently on the pommels of the saddles, to indicate that their 

 masters were going to ride the horses, and not them. The street 

 grew lively, not so much with people going to hunt, as with people 

 coming to see those who were. Tattered Hibernians, with rags 

 on their backs and jokes on their lips ; young English chevaliers 

 cTindustrw, with their hands ready to dive into anybody's pockets 

 but their own ; stablemen out of place, servants loitering on their 

 errands, striplings helping them, ladies'-maids with novels or 

 three-corner'd notes, and a good crop of beggars. 



" What, Spareneck, do you ride the grey to-day ? I thought 

 you'd done Gooseman out of a mount," observed Ensign Downley, 

 ns a line of scarlet-coated youths hung over the balcony of the 

 Imperial Hotel, after breakfast and before mounting fur the day. 



Spareneck. — " No, that's for Tuesday. He wouldn't stand one 

 to-day. What do you ride ? " 



Downley. — " Oh, I've a hack, one of Screwman's, Perpetual 

 Motion they call him, because he never gets auy rest. That's him, 

 I believe, with the lofty-actioned hind-legs," added he, pointing 



