228 



bumptiously at every body he met, as much as to say, u Don't sup- 

 pose I'm walking from necessity ! I've plenty of tin." 



The third cheroot brought Jack and his suite within sight of 

 Hanby House. 



Mr. Puffington had about got through all the fuss of his prepara- 

 tions, arranged the billets of the guests, and of those scarcely less 

 important personages — their servants, allotted the stables, and re- 

 hearsed the wines, when a chance glance through the gaily-furnished 

 drawing-room window discovered Jack trudging up the trimly-kept 

 avenue. 



" Here's that nasty Spraggon," exclaimed he, eyeing Jack drag- 

 ging his legs along ; adding, " I'll be bound to say he'll never think 

 of wiping his filthy feet if I don't go to meet him." 



So saying, Puffington rushed to the entrance, and crowning him- 

 self with a white wide-awake, advanced cheerily to do so. 



Jack, who was more used to " cold shoulder " than cordial recep- 

 tions, squinted and stared with surprise at the unwonted warmth, so 

 different to their last interview, when Jack was fresh out of his clay- 

 hole in the Brick Fields ; but not being easily put out of his way, 

 he just took Puff as Puff took him. They talked of Scainperdale, and 

 they talked of Frostyface, and the number of foxes he had killed, the 

 price of corn, and the difference its price made in the keep of hounds 

 and horses. Altogether they were very " thick." 



" And how's our friend Sponge ? " asked Puffington, as the con- 

 versation at length began to flag. 



" Oh, he's nicely," replied Jack ; adding, " hasn't he come yet ? " 



" Not that I've seen," answered Puffington ; adding, " I thought, 

 perhaps, you might come together." 



" No," grunted Jack ; "'he comes from Jawleyford's, you know; 

 I'm from Woodmansterne." 



" We'll go and see if he's come," observed Puffington, opening a 

 door in the garden-wall, into which he had manoeuvred Jack, com- 

 municating with the court-yard of the stable. 



" Here are his horses," observed Puffington, as Mr. Leather rode 

 through the great gates on the opposite side, with the renowned 

 hunters in full marching order. 



" Monstrous fine animals they are," said Jack, squinting intently 

 at them. 



" They are that," replied Puffington. 



" Mr. Sponge seems a very pleasant, gentlemanly man," observed 

 Mr. Puffington. 



" Oh, he is," replied Jack. 



" Can you tell me — can you inform me — that's to say, can you 

 give me any idea," hesitated Puffington, " what is the usual practice 

 — the usual course — the usual understanding as to the treatment of 

 those sort of gentlemen ? " 



