MB. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 253 



" Oh, no ! " said Jack ; " the thing's simple enough — met at 

 such a place — found at such another — killed at so and so." 



" Well, I hope it will," said Sponge, riding into the stable-yard, 

 and resigning his steed to the care of his groom. 



Jack did the same by Sponge's other horse, which he had been 

 riding, and in reply to Leather's enquiry (who stood with his right 

 hand ready, as if to shake hands with him), " how the horse had 

 carried him ? " replied — 



" Cursed ill," and stamped away without giving him anything. 



" Ah, you're a gen'leman, you are," muttered Leather, as he led 

 the horse away. 



" Now, come ! " exclaimed Jack, to Sponge, " come ! let's get in 

 before any of those bothersome fellows come ; " adding, as he dived 

 into a passage, " I'll show you the back way." 



After passing a scullery, a root-house, and a spacious entrance- 

 hall, upon a table in which stood the perpetual beer-jug and bread- 

 basket, a green baize door let them into the regions of upper 

 service, and passing the dashed carpets of the housekeeper's 

 room and butler's pantry, a red baize door let them into the 

 far-side of the front entrance. Having deposited their hats and 

 whips, they bounded up the richly-carpeted staircase to their 

 rooms. 



Hanby House, as we have already said, was splendidly fur- 

 nished. All the grandeur did not run to the entertaining rooms ; 

 but each particular apartment, from the state bed-room down to 

 the smallest bachelor snuggery, was replete with elegance and 

 comfort. 



Like many houses, however, the bed-rooms possessed every 

 imaginable luxury, except boot-jacks and pens that would write. 

 In Sponge's room, for instance, there were hip-baths, and foot- 

 baths, a shower-bath, and hot and cold baths adjoining, and 

 mirrors innumerable ; an eight-day mantel-clock, by Moline, of 

 Geneva, that struck the hours, half-hours, and quarters : cut-glass 

 toilet candlesticks, with silver sconces ; an elegant zebra-wood 

 cabinet ; also a beautiful Devonport of zebra-wood, with a plate- 

 glass back, containing a pen rug worked on silver ground, an 

 ebony match box, a blue crystal, containing a sponge pen-wiper, a 

 beautiful envelope-case, a white-cornelian seal, with " Hanby 

 House " upon it, wax of all colours, papers of all textures, enve- 

 lopes without end — every imaginable requirement of correspond- 

 ence except a pen that would write. There ivere pens, indeed — 

 there almost always are — but they were miserable apologies of 

 things ; some were mere crow-quills — sort of cover-hacks of pens, 

 while others were great, clumsy, heavy-heeled, cart-horse sort of 

 things, clotted up to the hocks with ink, or split all the way 

 through — vexatious apologies, that throw a person over just at the 



