130 mr. sponge's spouting tour. 



do indeed. You should have come, or said nothing about it. You 

 distress me — you do indeed." 



" Well, I'm wrong, perhaps," replied his lordship, patting Jaw- 

 leyford encouragingly on the shoulder ; " but however, I'll tell you 

 what," said he, " Jack here's not engaged, and he shall come to 

 you." 



" Most happy to see Mr. — ha — hum — haw — Jack — that's to say 

 Mr. Spraggon," repled Jawleyford, bowing very low, and laying his 

 hand on his heart, as if quite overpowered at the idea of the honour. 



" Then that's a bargain, Jack," said his lordship, looking know- 

 ingly round at his much disconcerted friend ; " you dine and stay all 

 night at Jawleyford Court to-morrow ! and mind" added he, " make 

 yourself 'greeable to the girls, — ladies that's to say." 



" Couldn't your lordship arrange it so that we might have the 

 pleasure of seeing you both on some future day?" asked Jawleyford, 

 anxious to avert the Jack calamity. " Say next week," continued 

 he ; " or suppose you meet at the Court ? " 



" Ha — he — hum. Meet at the Court," mumbled his lordship — 

 " meet at the Court — ha — he — ha — hum — no ; got no foxes." 



" Plenty of foxes, I assure you, my lord ! " exclaimed Jawleyford. 

 " Plenty of foxes ! " repeated he. 



" We never find them, then, somehow," observed his lordship, 

 drily ; " at least none but those three-legged beggars in the laurels 

 at the back of the stables." 



" Ah ! that will be the fault of the hounds," replied Jawleyford ; 

 " they don't take sufficient time to draw — run through the covers too 

 quickly." 



" Fault of the hounds be hanged ! " exclaimed Jack, who was the 

 champion of the pack generally. " There's not a more patient, pains- 

 taking pack in the world than his lordship's." 



" Ah — well — ah — never mind that," replied his lordship, " Jaw 

 and you can settle that point over your wine to-morrow ; meanwhile, 

 if your friend Mr. What's-his-name here, '11 get his horse," continued 

 his lordship, addressing himself to Jawleyford, but looking at Sponge, 

 who was still on the piebald, " we'll throw off." 



" Thank you, my lord," replied Sponge; "but I'll mount at the 

 cover side." Sponge not being inclined to let the Flat Hat Hunt 

 field see the difference of opinion that occasionally existed between 

 the gallant brown and himself. 



" As you please," rejoined his lordship, " as you please," jerking 

 his head at Frostyface, who forthwith gave the office to the hounds; 

 whereupon all was commotion. Away the cavalcade went, and in 

 less than five minutes the late bustling village resumed its wonted 

 quiet ; the old man on sticks, two crones gossiping at a door, a rag- 

 or-anything-else gatherer going about with a donkey, and a parcel of 

 dirty children tumbling about on the green, being all that remained 



