mr. sponge's sporting tour. 79 



do say you'll come, and then it will be a settled thing, and I shall 

 look forward to it with such pleasure ! " 



He was equally magnanimous about hunting, though, like a good 

 many people who have " had their hunts," he pretended that his day 

 was over, though he was a most zealous promoter of the sport. So 

 he asked everybody who did hunt to come and see him ; and what 

 with his hearty, affable manner, and the unlimited nature of his in- 

 vitations, he generally passed for a deuced hospitable, good sort of 

 fellow, and came in for no end of dinners and other entertainments 

 for his wife and daughters, of which he had two — daughters, we 

 mean, not wives. His time was about up at Laverick Wells when 

 Mr. Sponge arrived there ; nevertheless, during the few days that 

 remained to them, Mr. Jawleyford contrived to scrape a pretty in- 

 timate acquaintance with a gentleman whose wealth was reported to 

 equal, if it did not exceed, that of Mr. Waffles himself, the follow- 

 ing was the closing scene between them: — 



" Mr. Sponge," said he, getting our hero by both hands in Culey- 

 ford's Billiard Boom, and shaking them as though he could not bear 

 the idea of separation ; "my dear Mr. Sponge," added he, " I grieve to 

 say we are going to-morrow ; I had hoped to have stayed a little longer, 

 and to have enjoyed the pleasure of your most agreeable society." 

 (This was true ; he would have stayed, only his banker wouldn't let 

 him have any more money.) " But, however, I won't say adieu," 

 continued he ; " no, I ivonH say adieu ! I live, as you perhaps know, 

 in one of the best hunting countries in England — my Lord Scamper- 

 dale's — Scamperdale and I are like brothers ; I can do whatever I 

 like with him — he has, I may say, the finest pack of hounds in the 

 world; his huntsman, Jack Frostyface, I really believe, cannot be 

 surpassed. Come, then, my dear fellow," continued Mr. Jawleyford, 

 increasing the grasp and shake of the hands, and looking most earn- 

 estly in Sponge's face, as if deprecating a refusal ; " come then, my 

 dear fellow, and see us ; we will do whatever we can to entertain 

 and make you comfortable. Scamperdale shall keep our side of the 

 country till you come ; there are capital stables at Lucksford, close 

 to the station, and you shall have a stall for your hack at Jawley- 

 ford, and a man to look after him if you like ; so now, don't say nay 

 — your time shall be ours — we shall be at home all the rest of the 

 winter, and I flatter myself, if you once come down, you will be in- 

 clined to repeat your visit ; at least, I hope so." 



There are two common sayings ; one, " that birds of a feather 

 flock together ; " the other, " that two of a trade never agree ; " which 

 often seem to us to contradict each other in the actual intercourse 

 of life. Humbugs certainly have the knack of drawing together, and 

 yet they are always excellent friends, and will vouch for the goodness 

 of each other in a way that few straightforward men think it worth 

 their while to adopt with regard to indifferent people. Indeed, hum- 



