MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR 



367 



prevent his enjoying a most liberal plate of stick-jaw pudding 

 supplied by a general contribution of the servants. Jog's wrath 

 was then turned in another direction, and he blew up for the waste 

 and extravagance of the act, hinting pretty freely that he knew 

 who it was that had set them against it. Altogether he was full 

 of troubles, vexations, and annoyances ; and after spending 

 another most disagreeable evening with our friend Sponge, went 

 to bed more determined than ever to get rid of him. 



CHAPTER LI. 



NONSUCH HOUSE AGAIN. 



DOMI-TK' LCON.'MY "K .NoNsIA 11 Ilul'SK. 



Poor Jog again varied his hints the next morning. After 

 sundry prefatory " Murry Anns ! " and " Bar-tho-lo-mews / " he at 

 length got the latter to answer, when, raising his voice so as to fill 

 the whole house, he desired him to go to the stable, and let Mr. 

 Sponge's man know his master would be (wheezing) away. 



" You're wrong there, old buck," growled Leather, as he heard 

 the foregoing ; " he's half way to Sir 'Arry's by this time." 



And, sure enough, Mr. Sponge was, as none knew better than 

 Leather, who had got him his horse, the hack being indisposed, — 

 that is to say, having been out all night with Mr. Leather on a 

 drinking excursion, Leather having just got home in time to 

 receive the purple-coated, bare-footed runner of Nonsuch House, 

 who dropped in, en passant, to see if there was anything to stow 



