102 MR. sponge's sporting tour. 



trousers, a buff waistcoat, with a cream-coloured once-round silk tie, 

 secured by red cornelian cross-bars set in gold, for a pin. Thus at- 

 tired, with a Mogg " in his pocket, he swaggered down to the break- 

 fast-room, which he hit off by means of listening at the doors till he 

 heard the sound of voices within.- 



Mrs. Jawleyford and the young ladies were all smiles and smirks, 

 and there were no symptoms of Miss Jawleyford's hauteur percep- 

 tible. They all came forward and shook hands with our friend most 

 cordially. Mr. Jawleyford, too, was all flourish and compliment ; 

 now tilting at the weather, now congratulating himself upon having 

 secured Mr. Sponge's society in the house. 



That leisurely meal of protracted ease, a country-house break- 

 fast, being at length accomplished, and the ladies having taken their 

 departure, Mr. Jawleyford looked out on the terrace, upon which 

 the angry rain was beating the standing water into bubbles, and ob- 

 serving that there was no chance of getting out, asked Mr. Sponge 

 if he could amuse himself in the house. 



" Oh, yes," replied he, "got a book in my pocket." 



"Ah, I suppose — the 'New Monthly,' perhaps?" observed Mr. 

 Jawleyford. 



" No," replied Sponge. 



M Dizzy's 'Life of Bentinck,' then, I daresay," suggested Jawley- 

 ford; adding, " I'm reading it myself." 



" No, nor that either," replied Sponge, with a knowing look ; " a 

 much more useful work, I assure you," added he, pulling the little 

 purple-backed volume out of his pocket, and reading the gilt letters 

 on the back ; " ' Mogg's Ten Thousand Cab Fares, price one shil- 

 ling!'" 



" Indeed," exclaimed Mr. Jawleyford, " well, I should never have 

 guessed that." 



" I daresay not," replied Sponge, "I daresay not; it's a book I 

 never travel without. It's invaluable in town, and you may study it 

 to great advantage in the country. With Mogg in my hand, I can 

 almost fancy myself in both places at once. Omnibus guide," added 

 he, turning over the leaves, and reading, " Acton five, from the end 

 of Oxford-street and the Edger Road — see Ealing; Edmonton 

 seven, from Shoreditch Church — ' Green Man and Still,' Oxford- 

 street — Shepherd's bush and Starch Green, Bank, and Whitechapel 

 — Tooting — Totteridge — Wandsworth : in- short every place near 

 town. Then the cab fares are truly invaluable ; you have ten 

 thousand of them here," said he, tapping the book, " and you may 

 calculate as many more for yourself as ever you like. Nothing to 

 do but sit in an arm-chair on a wet day like this, and say, If from 

 the Mile End turnpike to the ' Castle ' on the Kingsland Koad is so 

 much, how much should it be to the ' Yorkshire Stingo,' or Pine- 

 Apple Place, Maida Vale ? And you measure by other fares till 



