220 MR. sponge's sporting tour. 



who was always ready to give a helping hand to her own daughters 

 at least. 



'• I don't doubt it ! " replied his lordship, with emphasis, and a 

 third bang of his hand, louder if possible than before. " And do you 

 like horses ? " asked his lordship, darting sharply round on Emily, 

 who had been yielding, or rather submitting, to the precedence of 

 her sister. 



" Oh, yes ; and hounds too ! " replied she, eagerly. 



" And hounds, too ! " exclaimed his lordship with a start, and 

 another hearty bang of the fist; adding, " Well, now, I like a woman 

 that likes hounds." 



Amelia frowned at the unhandsome march her sister had stolen 

 upon her. Just then in came- Jawleyford, much to the annoyance 

 of all parties. A host should never show before the dressing-bell 

 rings. 



When that glad sound was at length heard, the ladies, as usual, 

 immediately withdrew ; and of course the first thing Amelia did 

 when she got to her room was to run to the glass to see how she had 

 been looking ; when, grievous to relate, she found an angry hot spot 

 in the act of breaking out on her nose. 



What a distressing situation for a young lady, especially one with 

 a spectacled suitor. " Oh, dear! " she thought, as she eyed it in the 

 glass, " it will look like Vesuvius itself through his formidable in- 

 quisitors." Worst of all, it was on the side she would have next him 

 at dinner, should he choose to sit with his back to the fire. How- 

 ever, there was no help for it, and the maid kindly assuring her, as 

 she worked away at her hair, that it "would never be seen," she 

 ceased to watch it, and turned her attention to her toilette. The 

 fine, new broad-lace flounced, light blue satin dress — a dress so much 

 like a ball-dress as to be only appreciable as a dinner one by female 

 eyes — was again in requisition; while her fine arms were encircled 

 with chains and armlets of various brilliance and devices. Thus 

 attired, with a parting inspection of the spot, she swept down stairs, 

 with as smart a bouquet as the season would afford. As luck would 

 have it, she encountered his lordship himself wandering about the 

 passage in search of the drawing-room, of whose door he had not 

 made a sufficient observation on leaving. He, too, was uncommonly 

 smart, with the identical dress-coat Mr. Spraggon wore, a white waist- 

 coat with turquoise buttons, a lace-frilled shirt, and a most extensive 

 once-round Joinville. He had been eminently successful in accom- 

 plishing a tie that would almost rival the sticks farmers put upon 

 truant geese to prevent their getting through gaps or under gates. 



Well, Miss Amelia having come to his lordship's assistance, and 

 eased him of his candle, now showed him into the drawing-room ; 

 and his hands being disengaged, like a true Englishman, he must be 

 doing, and accordingly he commenced an attack on her bouquet. 



