MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 305 



me, and help to get my (wheeze) gibbey-sticks out of the best 

 room ; there's a (puff) gentleman coming to (wheeze) here." 



" 0, indeed, sir," replied Mary Ann, smiling, and dropping down 

 her sleeves — glad to find it was no worse. 



They then proceeded up-stairs together. 



All the gibbey-sticks were bundled out, both the finished ones, 

 that were varnished and laid away carefully in the wardrobe, and 

 those that were undergoing surgical treatment, in the way of twist- 

 ings,and bendings, and tyings in the closets. As they routed them 

 out of hole and corner, Jogglebury kept up a sort of running re- 

 commendation to mercy, mingled with an inquiry into the state of 

 the household affairs. 



" Now (puff), Murry Ann ! " exclaimed he ; " take care you 

 don't scratch that (puff) Franky Burdett," handing her a highly- 

 varnished oak stick, with the head of Sir Francis for a handle ; 

 " and how many (gasp) haddocks d'ye say there are in the 

 house ? " 



" Three, sir," replied Mary Ann. 



" Three ! " repeated he, with an emphasis. " I thought your 

 (gasp) missus told me there were but (puff) two ; and, Murry Ann, 

 you must put the new (puff) quilt on the (gasp) bed, and (puff) 

 just look under it (gasp) and you'll find the (puff) old Truro 

 rolled up in a dirty (puff) pocket hankercher ; and, Murry Ann, 

 d'ye think the new (wheeze) purtaters came that I bought of (puff) 

 Billy Bloxom ? If so, you'd better (puff) some for dinner, and get 

 the best (wheeze) decanters out ; and Murry Ann, there are two 

 gibbeys on the (puff) surbase at the back of the bed, which you 

 may as well (puff) away. Ah ! here he is," added Mr. Jogglebury, 

 as Mr. Sponge's voice rose now from the passage into the room 

 above. 



Things now looked pretty promising. Mr. Sponge's attentions 

 to the children generally, and to G-ustavus James in particular, 

 coupled with his free-and-easy mode of introducing himself, made 

 Mrs. Crowdey feel far more at her ease with regard to entertain- 

 ing him than she would have done if her neighbour, Mr. Make- 

 peace, or the Rev. Mr. Facey himself, had dropped in to take 

 " pot luck," as they called it. With either of these she would 

 have wished to appear as if their every-day form was more in 

 accordance with their company style, whereas Jog and she 

 wanted to get something out of Mr. Sponge, instead of electrify- 

 ing him with their grandeur. That GustavusJames was destined 

 for greatness she had not the least doubt. She began to think 

 whether it might not be advisable to call him Guscavus James 

 Sponge. Jog, too, was comforted, at hearing there were three 

 haddocks, for though hospitably inclined he did not at all like the 

 idea of being on short commons himself. He had sufficient con- 



