MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 123 



" Is Lord Scamperdale punctual ? " asked Sponge. 



" Tol-lol," replied Jawleyford, "tol-lol." 



" He'll wait for you, I suppose ? " observed Sponge, thinking to 

 try Jawleyford on that infallible criterion of favour. 



" Why, if he knew I was coming, I dare say he would," replied 

 Jawleyford slowly and deliberately, feeling it was now no time 

 for flashing. " If he knew I was coming I dare say he would," 

 repeated he ; " indeed, I make no doubt he would : but one 

 doesn't like putting great men out of their way ; besides which, 

 it's just as easy to be punctual as otherwise. When I was in the 

 Bnmperkin — " 



" But your horse is on, isn't it ? " interrupted Sponge ; " he'll 

 see your horse there, you know." 



" Horse on, my dear fellow ! " exclaimed Jawleyford, " horse 

 on ? No, certainly not. How should I get there myself, if my 

 horse was on ? " 



" Hack, to be sure," replied Sponge, striking a light for his 

 cigar. 



" Ah, but then I should have no groom to go with me," 

 observed Jawleyford ; adding, " one must make a certain appear- 

 ance, you know. But come, my dear Mr. Sponge," continued he, 

 laying hold of our hero's arm, " let us get to the door, for that 

 cigar of yours will fumigate the whole house ; and Mrs. Jawleyford 

 hates the smell of tobacco." 



Spigot, with his attendants in livery> here put a stop to the 

 confab by hurrying past, drawing the bolts, and throwing back 

 the spacious folding doors, as if royalty or Daniel Lambert himself 

 were " coming out." 



The noise they made was heard outside ; and on reaching the 

 top of the spacious flight of steps, Sponge's piebald in charge of a 

 dirty village lad, and Jawleyford's steeds with a sky-blue groom, 

 were seen scuttling under the portico, for the owners to mount. 

 The Jawleyford cavalry was none of the best ; but Jawleyford 

 was pleased with it, and that is a great thing. Indeed, a thing 

 had only to be Jawleyford's, to make Jawleyford excessively fond 

 of it. 



"There !" exclaimed he, as they reached the third step from the 

 bottom. " There ! " repeated he, seizing Sponge by the arm, 

 " that's what I call shape. You don't see such an animal as that 

 every day," pointing to a not badly-formed, but evidently worn- 

 out, over-knee'd bay, that stood knuckling and trembling for 

 Jawleyford to mount. 



" One of the ' has beens,' I should say," replied Sponge, puffing 

 a cloud of smoke right past Jawleyford's nose ; adding, " It's a 

 pity but you could get him four new legs." 



" Faith, I don't see that he wants anything of the sort," 



