MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 161 



" "Well, I thought we had a bottle with a queer smatch the other 

 night," observed Sponge. 



" Old Blossomnose corked half-a-dozen in succession one night," 

 replied Jack. 



(He had corked three, but Jawleyford recorked them, and Spigot 

 was now reproducing them to our friends.) 



Although they had now got the ice broken, and entered into some- 

 thing like a conversation, it nevertheless went on very slowly, and 

 they seemed to weigh each word before it was uttered. Jack, too, 

 had time to run his peculiar situation through his mind, and ponder 

 on his mission from Lord Scamperdale — on his lordship's detestation 

 of Mr. Sponge, his anxiety to get rid of him, his promised corner in 

 his will, and his lordship's hint about buying Sponge's horses if he 

 could not get rid of him in any other way. 



Sponge, on his part, was thinking if there was any possibility of 

 turning Jack to account. 



It may seem strange to the uninitiated that there should be pros- 

 pect of gain to a middle-man in the matter of a horse-deal, save in the 

 legitimate trade of auctioneers and commission stable-keepers ; but 

 we are sorry to say we have known men calling themselves gentlemen, 

 who have not thought it derogatory to accept a " trifle " for their 

 good offices in the cause. " I can buy cheaper than you," they say, 

 " and we may as well divide the trifle between us." 



That was Mr. Spraggon's principle, only that the word " trifle " 

 inadequately conveys his opinion on the point ; Jack's notion being 

 that a man was entitled to 51. per cent, as of right, and as much more 

 as he could get. 



It was not often that Jack got a " bite " at my lord, which, per- 

 haps, made him think it the more incumbent on him not to miss an 

 opportunity. Having been told, of course he knew exactly the style 

 of mau he had to deal with in Mr. Sponge — a style of men of whom 

 there is never any difficulty in asking if they will sell their horses, 

 price being the only consideration. They are, indeed, a sort of un- 

 licensed horse-dealers, from whose presence few hunts are wholly free. 

 Mr. Spraggon thought, if he could get Sponge to make it worth his 

 while to get my lord to buy his horses, the — whatever he might get — 

 would come in very comfortably to pay his Christmas bills. 



By the time the bottle drew to a close, our friends were rather 

 better friends, and seemed more inclined to fraternise. Jack had the 

 advantage of Sponge,, for he could stare, or rather squint, at him 

 without Sponge knowing it. The pint of wine apiece — at least as 

 near a pint apiece as Spigot could afford to let them have — somewhat 

 strung Jack's nerves as well as his eyes, and he began to show more 

 of the pupils and less of the whites than he did. He buzzed the bot- 

 tle with such a hearty good will as settled the fate of another, which 

 Sponge rang for as a matter of course. There was but the rejected 



