80 MR. sponge's sporting tour. 



bugs are not always content to defend their absent brother humbugs 

 when they hear them abused, but they will frequently lug each other 

 in neck and crop, apparently for no other purpose than that of pro- 

 claiming what excellent fellows they are, and see if anybody will 

 take up the cudgels against them. 



Mr. Sponge, albeit with a considerable cross of the humbug him- 

 self, and one who perfectly understood the usual worthlessness of 

 general invitations, was yet so taken with Mr. Jawleyford's hail- 

 fellow-well-met, earnest sort of manner, that, adopting the convenient 

 and familiar solution in such matters, that there is no rule without 

 an exception, concluded that Mr. Jawleyford was the exception, and 

 really meant what he said. 



Independently of the attractions offered by hunting, which were 

 both strong and cogent, we have said there were two young ladies, 

 to whom fame attached the enormous fortunes common in cases where 

 there is a large property and no sons. Still Sponge was a wary bird, 

 and his experience of the worthlessness of most general invitations 

 made him think it just possible that it might not suit Mr. Jawley- 

 ford to receive him now, at the particular time he wanted to go ; so 

 after duly considering the case, and also the impressive nature of 

 the invitation, so recently given, too, he determined not to give 

 Jawleyford the chance of refusing him, but just to say he was com- 

 ing, and drop down upon him before he could say " no." Accord- 

 ingly, he penned the following epistle : — 



"Bantam Hotel, Bond-street, London. 

 " Dear Jawleyford, 

 " I purpose being with you to-morrow, by the express train, 

 which I see, by Bradshaw, arrives at Lucksford a quarter to three. 

 I shall only bring two hunters and a hack, so perhaps you could 

 oblige me by taking them in for the short time I shall stay, as it 

 would not be convenient for me to separate them. Hoping to find 

 Mrs. Jawleyford and the young ladies well, I remain, dear sir, 



" Yours very truly, 



" H. Sponge. 

 " To — Jawletord, Esq., Jawleyford Court, Lucksford" 



" Curse the fellow ! " exclaimed Jawleyford, nearly choking him- 

 self with a fish bone, as he opened and read the foregoing at break- 

 fast. " Curse the fellow ! " he repeated, stamping the letter under 

 foot, as though he would crush it to atoms. " Who ever saw such 

 a piece of impudence as that ! " 



"What's the matter, My dear?" inquired Mrs. Jawleyford, 

 alarmed lest it was her dunning jeweller writing again. 



"Matter ! " shrieked Jawleyford, in a tone that sounded through 

 the thick wall of the room, and caused the hobbling old gardener on 



