mr. sponge's sporting tour. 153 



" The humbug ! " muttered Lord Scamperdale ; adding, " I'll be 

 bound he's got no more influenza than I have." 



" Well," observed Jack, sweeping a red cotton handkerchief, 

 with which he had been protecting his leathers, off into his pocket, 

 1 there's an end of that." 



" Don't go so quick," replied his lordship, ladling in the porridge. 



" Quick! " retorted Jack "why, what can you do?" 



" Do ! why, go to be sure," replied his lordship. 



" How can I go," asked Jack, " when the sinner's written to put 

 me off?" 



" Nicely," replied his lordship, " nicely. I'll just send word back 

 by the servant that you had started before the note arrived, but that 

 you shall have it as soon as you return, and you just cart up there as 

 if nothing had happened." So saying, his lordship took hold of the 

 whipcord-pull and gave the bell a peal. 



" There's no beating you," observed Jack. 



Bags now made his appearance again. 



" Is the servant here that brought this note ? " asked his lordship, 

 holding it up. 



" Yes, me lord," replied Bags. 



" Then tell him to tell his master, with my compliments, that Mr. 

 Spraggon had set off for Jawleyford Court before it came, but that 

 he shall have it as soon as he returns — you understand ? " 



" Yes, me lord," replied Bags, looking at Jack supping up the 

 fat porridge, and wondering how the lie would go down with Harry, 

 who was then discussing his master's merits and a horn of small beer 

 with the lad who was going to drive Jack. 



Jawleyford Court was twenty miles from Woodmansterne as the 

 crow flies, and any distance anybody liked to call it by the road. The 

 road, indeed, would seem to have been set out with a view of getting 

 as many hills and as little level ground over which a traveller could 

 make play as possible; and where it did not lead over the tops of the 

 highest hills, it wound round their bases, in such little, vexatious, up- 

 and-down, wavy dips, as completely to do away with all chance of ex- 

 pedition. The route was not along one continuous trust, but here 

 over a bit of turnpike and there over a bit of turnpike, with ever and 

 anon long interregnums of township roads, repaired in the usual 

 primitive style with mud and soft field-stones, that turned up like 

 flitches of bacon. A man would travel from London to Exeter by 

 rail in as short a time, and with far greater ease, than he would drive 

 from Lord Scamperdale's to Jawleyford Court. His lordship being 

 aware of this fact, and thinking, moreover, it was no use trashing a 

 good horse over such roads, had desired Frostyface to put an old 

 spavined grey mare, that he had bought for the kennel, into the dog- 

 cart, and out of which his lordship thought, if he could get a day's 

 work or two, she would come all the cheaper to the boiler. 

 7* 



