MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 171 



Springwheat himself now made his appearance, as fine a sample 

 of a man as his wife was of a woman. His face was flushed with the 

 exertion of pulling on his tight boots, and his lordship felt the creases 

 the hooks had left as he shook him by the hand. 



" Well, Springey," said he, " I was just asking your wife after 

 the new babby." 



" Oh, thank you, my lord, 1 ' replied Springey, with a shake of his 

 curly head ; " thank you, my lord : no new babbies, my lord, with 

 wheat below forty, my lord." 



" Well, but you've got a pair of new boots, at all events," ob- 

 served his lordship, eyeiDg Springwheat's refractory calves bagging 

 over the tops of them. 



" 'Deed have I ! " replied Springwheat; " and a pair of uncom- 

 mon awkward tight customers they are," added he, trying to move 

 his feet about in them. 



" Ah ! you should always have a chap to wear your boots a few 

 times before you put them on yourself," observed his lordship. " I 

 never have a pair of tight uns," added he; " Jack here always does 

 the needful by mine." 



" That's all very well for lords," replied Mr. Springwheat ; " but 

 us farmers wear out our boots fast enough ourselves, without anybody 

 to help us." 



"Well, but I s'pose we may as well fall to," observed his lord- 

 ship, casting his eye upon the well-garnished table. " All these 

 good things are meant to eat, I s'pose," added he : " cakes, and 

 sweets, and jellies without end : and as to your sideboard," said he, 

 turning round and looking at it, " it's a match for any Lord Mayor's. 

 A round of beef, a ham, a tongue, and is that a goose or a turkey ? " 



" A turkey, my lord," replied Soringwheat ; " home-fed, my 

 lord." 



" Ah, home-fed, indeed ! " ejaculated his lordship, with a shake of 

 the head : " home-fed ; wish I could feed at home. The man who 

 said that 



E'en from the peasant to the lord, 

 The turkey smokes on every board, 



told a big un, for I'm sure none ever smokes on mine." 



" Take a little here to-day, then," observed Mr. Springwheat, cut- 

 ting deep into the white breast. 



"I will," replied his lordship, " I will ; and a slice of tongue, too," 

 added he. 



" There*are some hot sausingers comin'," observed Mr. Spring- 

 wheat. 



" You donH say so," replied his lordship, apparently thunder- 

 struck at the announcement. " Well, I must have all three. By ' 

 Jove, Jack ! " said he, appealing to his friend, " but you've lit on 



