426 MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 



past. Then she reverted to the interesting subject of settlements. 

 " What had Mr. Sponge got, and what would he do ? " This Lucy 

 couldn't tell. " What ! hadn't he told her where his estates 

 were?"— "No." "Well, was his dad dead?" This Lucy 

 didn't know either. They had got no further than the tender 

 prop. " Ah ! well ; would get it all out of him by degrees." And 

 with the reiteration of her " so glads," and the repayment of the 

 kiss Lucy had advanced, her ladyship advised her to get off her 

 habit and make herself comfortable, while she ran down stairs to 

 communicate the astonishing intelligence to the party below. 



" What d'ye think ? " exclaimed she, bursting into the billiard- 

 room, where the party were still engaged in a game at pool, all our 

 sportsmen, except Captain Cutitfat, who still sported his new 

 Moses and Son's scarlet, having divested themselves of their 

 hunting-gear — " What d'ye think ? " exclaimed she, darting into 

 the middle of them. 



" That Bob don't cannon ? " observed Captain Bouncey from 

 below the bandage that encircled his broken head, nodding towards 

 Bob Spangles, who was just going to make a stroke. 



" That Wax is out of limbo ? " suggested Captain Seedeybuck, 

 in the same breath. 



" No. Guess again ! " exclaimed Lady Scattercash, rubbing her 

 hands in high glee. 



" That the Pope's got a son ? " observed Captain Quod. 



" No. Guess again ! " exclaimed her ladyship, laughing. 



" I give it up," replied Captain Bouncey. 



" So do I," added Captain Seedeybuck. 



" That Mr. Sponge is going to oe married," enunciated her 

 ladyship, slowly and emphatically, waving her arms. 



" Ho-o-ray ! Only think of that ! " exclaimed Captain Quod. 

 " Old 'hogany-tops goin' to be spliced ! " 



" Did you ever ? " asked Bob Spangles. 



" No, I never,'''' replied Captain Bouncey. 



"He should be called Spooney Sponge, not Soapey Sponge," 

 observed Captain Seedeybuck. 



" Well, but to whom ? " asked Captain Bouncey. 



" Ah, to whom, indeed ! That's the question," rejoined her 

 ladyship archly. 



" I know," observed Bob Spangles. 



" No, you don't." 



" Yes, I do." 



" Who is it, then ? " demanded her ladyship. 



" Lucy Glitters, to be sure," replied Bob, who hadn't had his 

 stare out of the billiard-room window for nothing. 



" Pity her," observed Bouncey, sprawling along the billiard-table 

 to play for a cannon. 



