MB., sponge's sporting tour , 147 



" The deuce ! " exclaimed Jack, who had sat squinting and 

 listening intently as his lordship proceeded. " Well, now, hang me, 

 I thought he was a snob the moment I saw him," continued he; 

 Jack being one of those clever gentlemen who know everything after 

 they are told. 



" < Well, how do you know, Jack ? ' said I to Frosty. ' Oh, I 

 knows,'' replied he, as if he was certain about it. However, I wasn't 

 satisfied without knowing too ; and, as we kept jogging on, we came 

 to the old Coach and Horses, and I said to Jack, ' We may as well 

 have a drop of something to warm us.' So we halted, and had glasses 

 of brandy apiece, whips and all ; and then, as we jogged on again, I 

 just said to Jack, casually, ' Did you say it was Mr. Blossomnose 

 told you about old Brown Boots ? ' ' No — Blossomnose — no, 1 replied 

 he, as if Blossom never had anything half so good to tell ; l it was a 

 young woman,' said he, in an under tone, ' who told me, and she had 

 it from old Brown Boots's groom.' " 



" Well, that's good," observed Jack, diving his hands into the 

 very bottom of his great tartan trouser pockets and shooting his legs 

 out before him; " Well, that's good,' 1 '' repeated he, falling into a sort 

 of reverie. 



" Well, but what can we make of it ? " at length inquired he, 

 after a long pause, during which he ran the facts through his mind, 

 and thought they could not be much ruder to Sponge than they had 

 been. " What can we make of it ? " said he. " The fellow can 

 ride, and we can't prevent him hunting ; and his having nothing only 

 makes him less careful of his neck." 



" Why, that was just what I thought," replied Lord Scamperdale, 

 taking another tumbler of gin ; " that was just what I thought — the 

 fellow can ride, and we can't prevent him ; and just as I settled that 

 in my sleep, I thought I saw him come staring along, with his great 

 brown horse's head in the air, and crash right a-top of old Lablache. 

 But I see my way clearer with him now. But help yourself," con- 

 tinued his lordship, passing the gin-bottle over to Jack feeling that 

 what he had to say required a little recommendation. " I think I 

 can turn Frosty 's information to some account." 



" I don't see how," observed Jack, replenishing his glass. 



" / do, though," replied his lordship ; adding, " but I must have 

 your assistance." 



" Well, anything in moderation," replied Jack, who had to turn 

 his hand to some very queer jobs occasionally. 



" I'll tell you what / think," observed his lordship. " I think 

 there are two ways of getting rid of this haughty Philistine — this 

 unclean spirit — this 'bomination of a man. I think, in the first 

 place, if old Chatterbox knew that he had nothing, he would very 

 soon bow him out of Jawleyford Court; and, in the second, that we 

 might get rid of him by buying his horses." 



