mr. sponge's SPORTING TOUR. 37 



ing the ships, or polishing their nails with a shell, "whereas at water- 

 ing-places, they have generally little to do but to stare at and talk of 

 each other, and mark the progress of the day, by alternately drinking 

 at the wells, eating at the hotels, and wandering between the library 

 and the railway-station. The ladies get on better, for where there 

 are ladies there are always fine shops, and what between turning over 

 the goods, and sweeping the streets with their trains, making calls, 

 and arranging partners for balls, they get through their time very 

 pleasantly ; but what is " life " to them is often death to men. 



CHAPTER VI. 



LAVERICK WELLS. 



The flattering accounts Mr. Sponge read in the papers of the dis- 

 tinguished company -assembled at Laverick Wells, together with de- 

 tails of the princely magnificence of the wealthy commoner, Mr. 

 Waffles, who appeared to entertain all the world at dinner after each 

 day's hunting, made Mr. Sponge think it would be a very likely place 

 to suit him. Accordingly, thither he despatched Mr. Leather with 

 the redoubtable horses by the road, intending to follow in as many 

 hours by the rail as it took them days to trudge on foot. 



Railways have helped hunting as well as other things, and enable 

 a man to glide down into the grass " sheers," as Mr. Buckram calls 

 them, with as little trouble, and in as short a time almost, as it took 

 him to accomplish a meet at Croydon, or at the Magpies at Staines. 

 But to our groom and horses. 



Mr. Sponge was too good a judge to disfigure the horses with 

 the miserable, pulpy, weather-bleached job-saddles and bridles of 

 " livery," but had them properly turned out with well-made, slightly- 

 worn London ones of his own, and nice, warm, brown woollen rugs, 

 below broadly-bound, blue-and-white-striped sheeting, with richly- 

 braided lettering, and blue and white cordings. A good saddle and 

 bridle makes a difference of ten pounds in the looks of almost any 

 horse. There is no need because a man rides a hack-horse to pro- 

 claim it to all the world : a fact that few hack-horse letters seem 

 to be aware of. Perhaps, indeed, they think to advertise them by 

 means of their inferior appointments. 



Leather, too, did his best to keep up appearances, and turned out 

 in a very stud-groomish-looking, basket-button'd, brown cut-away, 

 with a clean striped vest, ample white cravat, drab breeches and 

 boots, that looked as though they had brushed through a few bull- 



