MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 225 



his lordship, rubbing his ribs with his elbows, " he'll very soon 

 have enough of him." 



" Well," said Jack, " I really think it will be worth doing. 

 I've never been at the beggar's shop, and they say he lives well." 



" Well, aye ! " exclaimed his lordship ; " fat o' the land — dare 

 say that man has fish and soup every day." 



"And wax-candles to read by, most likely," observed Jack, 

 squinting at the dim mutton-fats that Baggs now brought in. 



" Not so grand as that," observed his lordship, doubting 

 whether any man could be guilty of such extravagance ; " Com- 

 posites, p'raps." 



It being decided that Jack should answer Mr. Pnffington's 

 invitation as well and saucily as he could, and a sheet of veiy 

 inferior paper being at length discovered in the sideboard drawer, 

 our friends forthwith proceeded to concoct it. Jack having at 

 length got all square, and the black-ink lines introduced below, 

 dipped his pen in the little stone ink-bottle, and, squinting up at 

 his lordship, said, 



" How shall I begin ? " 



" Begin ? " replied he. " Begin — oh, let's see — begin — begin, 

 ' Dear Puff,' to be sure." 



" That'll do," said Jack, writing away. 



(" Dear Puff ! " sneered our friend, when he read it ; " the idea 

 of a fellow like that writing to a man of my p-r-o-r-perty that 

 way.") 



" Say ' Scamp,' " continued his lordship, dictating again, " ' is 

 engaged, but I'll be with you at feeding-time.' " 



(" Scamp's engaged," read Puffington, with a contemptuous 

 curl of the lip — "Scamp's engaged : I like the impudence of a 

 fellow like that calling noblemen nicknames.") 



The letter concluded by advising Puffington to stick to the 

 Beaufort Justice blood, for there was nothing in the world like it. 

 And now, having got both our friends booked for visits, we must 

 yield precedence to the nobleman, and accompany him to Jawley- 

 ford Court, 



