mr. sponge's sporting tour. 169 



exclusive of the projecting garret ones in the Dutch tile roof, of the 

 usual four windows and a door, that so well tell their own tale ; pas- 

 sage in the middle, staircase in front, parlour on the right, best ditte 

 on the left, with rooms to correspond above. To be sure there was a 

 great depth of house to the back ; but this in no way contributed to 

 the importance of the front, from which point alone the Springwheats 

 chose to have it contemplated. If the back arrangements could have 

 been divided, and added to the sides, they would have made two very 

 good wings to the old red brick rose-entwined mansion. Having 

 mentioned that its colour was red, it is almost superfluous to add that 

 the door and rails were green. 



This was a busy morning at Larkhall Hill. It was the first day 

 of the season of my lord's hounds meeting there, and the handsome 

 Mrs. Springwheat had had as much trouble in overhauling the china 

 and linen, and in dressing the children, preparatory to breakfast, as 

 Springweat had had in collecting knives and forks, and wine-glasses 

 and tumblers for his department of the entertainment, to say nothing 

 of looking after his new tops and cords. " The Hill," as the country 

 people call it, was " full fig ; " and a bright, balmy winter's day 

 softened the atmosphere, and felt as though a summer's day had 

 been shaken out of its place into winter. It is not often that the 

 English climate is accommodating enough to lend its aid to set off a 

 place to advantage. 



Be that, however, as it may, things looked smiling both without 

 and within. Mrs. Springwheat, by dint of early rising and superin- 

 tendence, had got things into such a state of forwardness as to be 

 able to adorn herself with a little jaunty cap — curious in microscopic 

 punctures and cherry-coloured ribbon interlardinents — placed so far 

 back on her finely-shaped head as to proclaim beyond all possibility 

 of cavil that it was there for ornament, and not for the purpose of con- 

 cealing the liberties of time with her well-kept, clearly-parted, raven- 

 black hair. Liberties of time, forsooth ! Mrs. Springwheat was in 

 the heighday of womanhood ; and though she had presented Spring- 

 wheat with twins three times in succession, besides an eldest son, 

 she was as young, fresh-loooking, and finely-figured as she was the 

 day she was married. She was now dressed in a very fine French 

 grey merino, with a very small crochet-work collar, and of course, 

 capacious muslin sleeves. The high flounces to her dress set off her 

 smart waist to great advantage. 



Mrs. Springwheat had got everything ready, and herself too, by 

 the time Lord Scamperdale's second horseman rode into the yard and 

 demanded a stall for his horse. Knowing how soon the balloon 

 follows the pilot, she immediately ranged the Stunner-tartan-clad 

 children in the breakfast-room ; and as the first whip's rate sounded 

 as he rode round the corner, she sank into an easy-chair by the fire. 



