• MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 159 



his black Saxony trousers ; then came a fine black lace fringed cravat, 

 and the damson-coloured velvet waistcoat with the cut-steel buttons. 



" Dash me, but I look pretty well in this ! " said he, eyeing first 

 one side and then the other as he buttoned it. He then stuck a chased 

 and figured fine gold brooch, with two pendant tassel-drops, set with 

 turquoise and agates, that he had abstracted from his lordship's dress- 

 ing-case, into his, or rather his lordship's, finely-worked shirt-front, 

 and crowned the toilet with his lordship's best new blue coat with 

 velvet collar, silk facings, and the Flat Hat Hunt button — " a strid- 

 ing fox," with the letters " F. H. H." below. 



" Who shall say Mr. Spraggon's not a gentleman ? " said he, as he 

 perfumed one of his lordship's fine coronetted cambric handkerchiefs 

 with lavender-water. Scent, in Jack's opinion, was one of the crite- 

 rions of a gentleman. 



Somehow Jack felt quite differently towards the house of Jaw- 

 leyford ; and though he did not expect much pleasure in Mr. Sponge's 

 company, he thought, nevertheless, that the ladies and he — Amelia 

 and he at least — would get on very well. Forgetting that he had 

 come to eject Sponge on the score of insufficiency, he really began to 

 think he might be a very desirable match for one of them himself. 



" The Spraggons are a most respectable family," said he, eyeing 

 himself in the glass. " If not very handsome, at all events, very gen- 

 teel," added he, speaking of himself in particular. So saying, he 

 adorned himself with his spectacles and set off to explore his way 

 down stairs. After divers mistakes he at length found himself in the 

 drawing-room, where the rest of the party being assembled, they pre- 

 sently proceeded to dinner. 



Jack's amended costume did not produce any difference in Mr. 

 Sponge's behaviour, who treated him with the utmost indifference. 

 In truth, Sponge had rather a large balance against Jack for his im- 

 pudence to him in the field. Nevertheless, the fair Amelia continued 

 her attentions, and talked of hunting, occasionally diverging into ob- 

 servations on Lord Scamperdale's fine riding and manly character and 

 appearance, in the round-about way ladies send messages and compli- 

 ments to their friends. 



The dinner was flat. Jawleyford had stopped the champagne 

 tap, though the needle-case glasses stood to tantalise the party till 

 about the time that the beverage ought to have been flowing, when 

 Spigot took them off. The flatness then became flatter. Neverthe- 

 less, Jack worked away in his usual carnivorous style, and finished 

 by paying his respects to all the sweets, jellies, and things in succes- 

 sion. He never got any of these, he said, at " home," meaning at 

 Lord Scamperdale's — Amelia thought, if she was "my. lady," he 

 would not get any meat there either. 



At length Jack finished ; and having discussed cheese, porter, and 

 red herrings, the cloth was drawn, and a hard-featured dessert, con- 



