MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 427 



" Why ? " asked Lady Scattercash. 



" Reg'lar scamp," replied Bouncey, vexed at missing his stroke. 



" Dare say you know nothing about him," snapped her ladyship 



" Don't I ? " replied Bouncey, complacently ; adding. " that's 

 all you know." 



" He'll whop her, to a certainty," observed Seedeybuck. 



" What makes you think that ? " asked her ladyship. 



" Oh — ha — hem — haw — why, because he whopped his poor horse 

 — whopped him over the ears. Whop his horse, whop his wife ; 

 whop his wife, whop his horse. Reg'lar Rule-of-three sum." 



" Make her a bad husband, I dare say," observed Bob Spangles, 

 who was rather smitten with Lucy himself. 



" Never mind ; a bad husband's a deal better than none, Bob," 

 replied Lady Scattercash, determined not to be put out of conceit 

 of her man. 



" He, he, he ! — haw, haw, haw ! — ho, ho, ho .' Well done you ! " 

 laughed several. 



" She'll have to keep him," observed Captain Cutitfat, whose 

 turn it now was to play. 



" What makes you think that ? " asked Lady Scattercash, 

 coming again to the charge. 



" He has nothing," replied Fat, coolly. 



" 'Deed, but he has — a very good property, too," replied her 

 ladyship. 



" In Airshive, I should think," rejoined Fat. 



" No, in Englandshire," retorted her ladyship ; " and great 

 expectations from an uncle," added she. 



" Ah— he looks like a man to be on good terms with his uncle," 

 sneered Captain Bouncey. 



"Make no doubt he pays him many a visit," observed 

 Seedeybuck. 



" Indeed ! that's all you know," snapped Lady Scattercash. 



" It's not all I know," replied Seedeybuck. 



" Well, then, what else do you know ? " asked she. 



" I know he has nothing," replied Seedey. 



" How do you know it ? " 



" I know" said Seedey, with an emphasis, now settling to his 

 stroke. 



" Well, never mind," retorted her ladyship ; if he has nothing 

 ahe has nothing, and nothing can be nicer." 



So saying, she hurried out of the room. 



