MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 153 



" "What's here ? " exclaimed his lordship, fearing from its 

 smartness, that it was from a lady. " What's here ? " repeated he, 

 as he inspected the direction. "0, it's for you!'''' exclaimed he, 

 chucking it over to Jack, considerably relieved by the discovery. 



" Me ! " replied Jack. " Who can be writing to me ? " said he 

 squinting his eyes inside out at the seal. He opened it : " Jawley- 

 ford Court," read he. " Who the deuce can be writing to me 

 from Jawleyford Court when I'm going there ? " 



" A put-off, for a guinea ! " exclaimed his lordship. 



" Hope so," muttered Jack. 



" Hope not" replied his lordship. 



" It is ! " exclaimed Jack, reading, " Dear Mr. Spraggon," and 

 so on. 



" The humbug ! " muttered Lord Scamperdale ; adding, " I'll 

 be bound he's got no more influenza than I have." 



"Well," observed Jack, sweeping a red cotton handkerchief, 

 with which he had been protecting his leathers, off into his pocket, 

 " there's an end of that." 



" Don't go so quick," replied his lordship, ladling in the porridge. 



" Quick I " retorted Jack ; " why, what can you do ? " 



" Bo I why, go to be sure," replied his lordship. 



" How can I go," asked Jack, " when the sinner's written to 

 put me off? " 



" Nicely," replied his lordship, "nicely. I'll just send word 

 back by the servant that you had started before the note arrived, 

 but that you shall have it as soon as you return ; and you just 

 cast up there as if nothing had happened." So saying, his 

 lordship took hold of the whipcord-pull and gave the bell a peal. 



" There's no beating you," observed Jack. 



Bags now made his appearance again. 



" Is the servant here that brought this note ? " asked his 

 lordship, holding it up. 



" Yes, me lord," replied Bags. 



" Then tell him to tell his master, with my compliments, that 

 Mr. Spraggon had set off for Jawleyford Court before it came, but 

 that he shall have it as soon as he returns — you understand f " 



" Yes, me lord," replied Bags, looking at Jack supping up the 

 fat porridge, and wondering how the he would go down with 

 Harry, who was then discussing his master's merits and a horn of 

 small beer with the lad who was going to drive Jack. 



Jawleyford Court was twenty miles from Woodmansterne as the 

 crow flies, and any distance anybody liked to call it by the road. 

 The road, indeed,, would seem to have been set out with a view of 

 getting as many hills and as little level ground over which a 

 traveller could make play as possible ; and where it did not lead 

 over the tops of the highest hills, it wound round their bases, in 



