38 mr. sponge's sporting tour. 



finches; and so they had, but not with Leather-legs in them, for he 

 had bought them second-hand of a pad groom in distress. His hands 

 were encased in cat's-skin sable gloves, showing that he was a gentle- 

 man who liked to be comfortable. Thus accoutred, he rode down 

 Broad Street at Laverick Wells looking like a fine, faithful old family 

 servant, with a slight scorbutic affection of the nose. He had every- 

 thing correctly arranged in true sporting marching order. The 

 collar-shanks were neatly coiled under the headstalls, the clothing 

 tightly rolled and balanced above the little saddle-bags on the led 

 horse, " Multum in Parvo's " back, with the story-telling whip stick- 

 ing through the roller. 



Leather arrived at Laverick Wells just as the first shades of 

 a November night were drawing on, and anxious mammas and care- 

 ful chaperons were separating their fair charges from their respective 

 admirers and the dreaded night air, leaving the streets to the gas- 

 light men and youths " who love the moon." The girls having been 

 withdrawn, licentious youths linked arms, and bore down the broad 

 pave, quizzing this person, laughing at that, and staring the pin- 

 stickers and straw-chippers out of countenance. 



" Here's an arrival ! " exclaimed one. " Dash my buttons, who 

 have we here ? " asked another, as Leather hove in sight. <l That's 

 not a bad looking horse," observed a third. " Bid him five pounds 

 for it for me," rejoined a fourth. 



" I say, old Bardolph ! who do them 'ere quadrupeds belong to? " 

 asked one, taking a scented cigar out of his mouth. 



Leather, though as impudent a dog as any of them, and far more 

 than a match for the best of them at a tournament of slang, being on 

 his preferment, thought it best to be civil, and replied, with a touch 

 of his hat, that they were " Mr. Sponge's." 



" Ah ! old sponge biscuits ! — I know him ! " exclaimed a youth 

 in a Tweed wrapper. " My father married his aunt. Give my love 

 to him, and tell him to breakfast with me at six in the morning — 

 he! he! he!" 



" I say, old boy, that copper-coloured quadruped hasn't got all 

 his shoes on before," squeaked a childish voice, now raised for the 

 first time. 



" Thatfs intended, gov^nor" growled Leather, riding on, indig- 

 nant at the idea of any one attempting to " sell him " with such an 

 old stable joke. So Leather passed on through the now splendidly 

 lit up streets, the large plate-glass windowed shops, radiant with gas, 

 exhibiting rich, many-coloured velvets, silver gauzes, ribbons with- 

 out end, fancy flowers, elegant shawls labelled " Very chaste," 

 "Patronised by Royalty," " Quite the go!" and white kid-gloves 

 in such profusion that there seemed to be a pair for every person in 

 the place. 



Mr. Leather established himself at the " Eclipse Livery and Bait 



