88 MR. SPONGE S SPORTING TOUR. 



George Bentinck " in his Land. But Jawleyford's thoughts were far 

 from his book. He was sitting on thorns lest there might not be a 

 proper guard of honour to receive Mr. Sponge at the entrance. 



Jawleyford, as we said before, was not a man to entertain unless 

 he could do it " properly; " and, as we all have our pitch-notes of pro- 

 priety up to which we play, we may state that Jawleyford's note was 

 a butler and two footmen. A butler and two footmen he looked upon 

 as perfectly indispensable to receiving company. He chose to have 

 two footmen to follow the butler, who followed the gentleman to the 

 spacious flight of steps leading from the great hall to the portico, as 

 he mounted his horse. The world is governed a good deal by appear- 

 ances. 



Mr. Jawleyford started life with two most unimpeachable Johns. 

 They were nearly six feet high, heads well up, and legs that might 

 have done for models for a sculptor. They powdered with the great- 

 est propriety, and by two o'clock each day were silk-stockinged and 

 pumped in full-dress Jawleyford livery ; sky-blue coats with massive 

 silver aiguillettes, and broad silver seams down the front and round 

 their waistcoat-pocket flaps ; silver garters at their crimson plush 

 breeches' knees : and thus attired, they were ready to turn out with 

 the butler to receive visitors, and conduct them back to their car- 

 riages. Gradually they came down in style, but not in number, and, 

 when Mr. Sponge visited Mr. Jawleyford, he had a sort of out-of-door 

 man-of-all-work who metamorphosed himself into a second footman at 

 short notice. 



" My dear Mr. Sponge ! — I am delighted to see you ! " exclaimed 

 Mr. Jawleyford, rising from his easy chair, and throwing his Disraeli's 

 " Bentinck " aside, as Mr. Spigot, the butler, in a deep sonorous voice, 

 announced our worthy friend; " This is, indeed, most truly kind of 

 you," continued Jawleyford, advancing to meet him ; and getting 

 our friend by both hands, he began working his arms up and down 

 like the under man in a saw-pit. " This is, indeed, most truly kind," 

 he repeated ; " I assure you I shall never forget it. It's just what I 

 like — it's just what Mrs. Jawleyford likes — it's just what we all like — 

 coming without fuss or ceremony. Spigot ! " he added, hailing old 

 Pomposo as the latter was slowly withdrawing, thinking what a hum- 

 bug his master was — " Spigot ! " he repeated, in a louder vorte ; " let 

 the ladies know Mr. Sponge is here. Come to the fire my dear fel- 

 low," continued Jawleyford, clutching his guest by the arm, and 

 drawing him towards where an ample grate of indifferent coals was 

 crackling and spluttering beneath a magnificent old oak mantelpiece 

 of the richest and costliest carved work. " Come to the fire, my dear 

 fellow," he repeated, " for you feel cold ; and I don't wonder at it, 

 for the day is cheerless and uncomfortable, and you've had a long 

 ride. Will you take any thing before dinner ? " 



