MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 269 



be quits with you this — he — he — he — haw — haw — haw" grinning 

 and staring about as if he had done something very clever. 



Pacey was one of those deplorable beings — a country swell. 

 Tomkins and Hopkins, the haberdashers of Swillingford, never 

 exhibited an ugly, out-of-the-way neckcloth or waistcoat with the 

 words " patronised by the Prince," "very fashionable," or "quite 

 the go," upon them, but he immediately adorned himself in one. 

 On the present occasion he was attired in a wide-stretching, lace- 

 tipped, black Joinville, with recumbent gills, showing the heavy 

 amplitude of his enormous jaws, while the extreme scooping out of 

 a collarless, flashy-buttoned, chain-daubed, black silk waistcoat, 

 with broad blue stripes, afforded an uninterrupted view of a costly 

 embroidered shirt, the view extending, indeed, up to a portion of 

 his white satin " forget-me-not " embroidered braces. His coat 

 was a broad-sterned, brass-buttoned blue, with pockets outside, 

 and of course he wore a pair of creaking highly varnished boots. 

 He was, apparently about twenty ; just about the age when a 

 youth thinks it fine to associate with men, and an age at which 

 some men are not above taking advantage of a youth. Perhaps 

 he looked rather older than he was, for he was stiff built aud 

 strong, with an ample crop of whiskers, extending from his great 

 red docken ears round his harvest moon of a face. He was lumpy, 

 and clumsy, and heavy all over. Having now got inducted, he 

 began to stare round the party, and first addressed our worthy 

 friend Mr. Spraggon. 



" Well, Sprag, how are you ? " asked he. 



" Well, Specs " (alluding to his father's trade), " how are you ?" 

 replied Jack, with a growl, to the evident satisfaction of the party, 

 who seemed to regard Pacey as the common enemy. 



Fortunately just at the moment Mr. Plummey restored harmony 

 by announcing dinner ; and after the usual backing and retiring 

 of mock modesty, Mr. Puffington said he would "show them the 

 way," when there was as great a rush to get in, to avoid the bugbear 

 of sitting with their backs to the fire, as there had been apparent 

 disposition not to go at all. Notwithstanding the unfavourable 

 aspect of affairs, Mr. Spraggon placed himself next Mr. Pacey, 

 who sat a good way down the table, while Mr. Sponge occupied 

 the post of honour by our host. 



In accordance with the usual tactics of these sort of gentlemen,. 

 Spraggon and Sponge essayed to be two — if not exactly strangers!, 

 at all events gentlemen with very little acquaintance. Spraggon 

 took advantage of a dead silence to call up the table to Muter 

 Sponge to take wine ; a compliment that Sponge acknowledged 

 die accordance of by a very low bow into his plate, and by-and-by 

 Mister Sponge "Mistered" Mr. Spraggon to return the compliment. 



" Do you know much of that— that — that — chaj) ? " (he would 



