185 



" Oh, the ostler '11 lend you what you want," replied Sponge, in 

 a tone of determination ; adding, " you can make shift for one night, 

 surely ? " 



" One night, surely ! " retorted Leather. " D'ye think an oss 

 can't be ruined in one night ? — humph ! " 



" I'll risk it," said Sponge. 



" But I won't," replied Leather, blowing the foam from the tank- 

 ard, and taking a long swig at the ale. " I thinks I knows my duty 

 to my gov'nor better nor that," continued he, setting it down. " I'll 

 not see his waluable 'unters stowed away in pigsties — not I, indeed." 



The fact was, Leather had an invitation to sup with the servants 

 at Jawleyford Court that night, and he was not going to be done out of 

 his engagement, especially as Mr. Sponge only allowed him two 

 shillings a day for expenses wherever he was. 



" Well, you're a cool hand, anyhow," observed Mr. Sponge, quite 

 taken by surprise. 



" Cool 'and, or not cool 'and," replied Leather, munching away, 

 " I'll do my duty to my master. I'm not one o' your coatless, char- 

 acterless scamps wot 'ang about livery-stables ready to do anything 

 they're bid. No, Sir, no," he continued, pronging another onion; "I 

 have some regard for the hinterest o' my master. I'll do my duty 

 in the station o' life in which I'm placed, and won't be 'fraid to face 

 no man." So saying Mr. Leather cut himself a grand circumference 

 of beef. 



Mr. Sponge was taken aback, for he had never seen a conscien- 

 tious livery-stable helper before, and did not believe in the existence 

 of such articles. However, here was Mr. Leather assuming a virtue, 

 whether he had it or not ; and Mr. Sponge being in the man's power, 

 of course durst not quarrel with him. It was clear that Leather 

 would not go ; and the question was, what should Mr. Sponge do ? 

 " Why shouldn't I go myself? " he thought, shutting his eyes, as if 

 to keep his faculties free from outward distraction. He ran the thing 

 quickly over in his mind. 



" What Leather can do, I can do," he said, remembering that a 

 groom never demeaned himself by working where there was an ostler. 

 " These things I have on will do quite well for to-morrow, at least 

 among such rough-and-ready dogs as the Flat Hat men, who seem as 

 if they had their clothes pitched on with a fork." 



His mind was quickly made up, and calling for pen, ink, and 

 paper, he wrote a hasty note to Jawleyord, explaining why he would 

 not cast up till the morrow ; he then got the chestnut out of the sta- 

 ble, and desiring the ostler to give the note to Leather, and tell him 

 to go home with his hack, he just rode out of the yard without giving 

 Leather the chance of saying " nay." He then jogged on at a pace 

 suitable to the accurate measurement of the distance. 



