MR. SPONGE'S SPOUTING TOUR. 291 



The two then sat silent for some minutes, Jogglebury still con- 

 templating the progressing head of Lord Brougham, and recalling 

 the eye and features that some five-and-twenty years before had 

 nearly withered him in a breach of promise action, " Smiler v. Jog- 

 glebury," * that being our friend's name before his uncle Crowdey 

 left him his property. 



Mrs. Jogglebury having an object in view, and knowing that, 

 though Jogglebury might lead, he would not drive, availed her- 

 self of the lull to trim her sail, to try and catch him on the other 

 tack. 



" Well, Mi-. Jogglebury Crowdey," said she, in a passive tone of 

 regret, " I certainly thought, however indifferent you might be to 

 me " (and here she applied her handkerchief — rather a coarse one — 

 to her eyes) " that still you had some regard for the interests of 

 your (sob) children ; " and here the waterfalls of her beadey black 

 eyes went off in a gush. 



" "Well, my dear," replied Jogglehury, softened, " I'm (puff) sure 

 I'm (wheeze) anxious for my (puff) children. You don't s'pose if 

 I wasn't (puff), I'd (wheeze) labour as I (puff — wheeze) do to 

 leave them fortins ? " — alluding to his exertions in the gibbey-stick 

 line. 



" Oh, Jog, I dare say you're very good, and very industrious," 

 sobbed Mrs. Jogglebury, " but I sometimes (sob) think that you 

 might apply your (sob) energies to a better (sob) purpose." 



" Indeed, my dear (puff), I don't see that (wheeze)," replied 

 Jogglebury, mildly. 



" Why, now, if you were to try and get this rich Mr. Sponge 

 for a god-papa for G-ustavus James," continued she, drying her 

 eyes as she came to the point, " that, I should say, would be worthy 

 of you." 



" But, my (puff) dear," replied Jogglebury, " I don't know Mr. 

 (wheeze) Sponge, to begin with." 



" That's nothing," replied Mrs. Jogglebury ; " he's a stranger, 

 and you should call upon him." 



Mr. Jogglebury sat silent, still staring at Lord Brougham, 

 thinking how he pitched into him, and how sick he was when the 

 jury, without retiring from the box, gave five hundred pounds 

 damages against him. 



" He's a fox-hunter, too," continued his wife ; " and you ought 

 to be civil to him." 



" Well, but my (puff) dear, he's as likely to (wheeze) these fifty 

 years as any (puff, wheeze) man I ever looked at," replied 

 Jogglebury. 



" Oh, nonsense," replied Mrs. Jogglebury ; " there's no saying 



• Vide " Barnwell and Alderson's Reports." 



