224 MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



" as if one didn't know that as well as him — ' by the Brocklesby ; 

 that's Yarborough's Marmion out of Petre's Matchless ; and 

 Marmion was by that undeniable hound, the — ' the — what ? " 

 asked his lordship. 



" Beaufort Justice, to be sure ! " replied Jack. 



" ' The Beaufort Justice ! ' " read his lordship, with due 

 emphasis. 



" Hurrah ! " exclaimed Jack, waving the dirty, egg-stained, 

 mustardy copy of Bell's Life over his head. " Hurrah ! I told 

 you so." 



" But hark to Justice ! " exclaimed his lordship, resuming his 

 reading. " ' I've always been a great admirer of the Beaufort 

 Justice blood — ' " 



" No doubt," said Jack ; " it's the only blood you know." 



" ' It was in great repute in the Badminton country in Old 

 Beaufort's time, with whom I hunted a great deal many years ago, 

 I'm sorry to say. The late Mr. Warde, who, of course, was very 

 justly partial to his own sort, had never any objection to breeding 

 from this Beaufort Justice. He was of Lord Egremont's blood, 

 by the New Forest Justice ; Justice by Mr. Gilbert's Jasper ; and 

 Jasper, bred by Egremont — ' Oh, the hosier ! " exclaimed his 

 lordship ; " he'll be the death of me." 



" Is that all ? " asked Jack, as his lordship seemed lost in 

 meditation. 



" All ? — no ! " replied he, starting up, adding : " Here's some- 

 thing about you." 



" Me ! " exclaimed Jack. 



" ' If Mr. Spraggon is with you, and you like to bring him, I 

 can manage to put him up too,' " read his lordship. " What 

 think you of that ? " asked his lordship, turning to our friend, 

 who was now squinting his eyes inside out with anger. 



" Think of it ! " retorted Jack, kicking out his legs — " think of 

 it ! — why, I think he's a dim'd impittant feller, as Bragg would 

 say." 



" So he is," replied his lordship ; " treating my friend Jack 

 so." 



" I've a good mind to go," observed Jack, after a pause, think- 

 ing he might punish Puff, and try to do a little business with 

 Sponge. " I've a good mind to go," repeated he ; "just by way 

 of paying Mr. Puff off. He's a consequential jackass, and wants 

 taking down a peg or two." 



" I think you may as well go and do it," replied his lordship, 

 after thinking the matter over ; " I think you may as well go and do 

 it. Not that he'll be good to take the conceit out of, but you may 

 vex him a bit ; and also learn something of the movements of his 

 friend Sponge. If he sarves Puff out as he's sarved me," continued 



