229 



" Oh, the best of everything's good enough for them," replied 

 Jack ; adding, "just as it is with me." 



" Ah, I dont mean in the way of eating and drinking, but in the 

 way of encouragement — in the way of a present, you know ? " adding 

 — " What did my lord do ? " seeing Jack was slow at comprehen- 

 sion. 



" Oh, my lord bad-worded him well," replied Jack ; adding, " he 

 didn't get much encouragement from him." 



" Ah, that's the worst of my lord," observed Puffington; " he's 

 rather coarse — rather too indifferent to public opinion. In a case of 

 this sort, you know, that doesn't happen every day, or, perhaps, more 

 than once in a man's life, it's just as well to be favourably spoken of 

 as not, you know ;" adding, as he looked intently at Jack — " Do you 

 understand me?" 



Jack, who was tolerably quick at a chance, now began to see how 

 things were, and to fathom Mr. Puffington's mistake. His ready 

 imagination immediately saw there might be something made of it, 

 so he prepared to keep up the delusion. 



" Wh-o-o^y / " said he, straddling out his legs, clasping his hands 

 together, and squinting steadily through his spectacles, to try and see, 

 by Puffington's countenance how much he would stand. " Wh-o-o-y! " 

 repeated he, " I shouldn't think — though, mind, it's mere conjectur' 

 on my part — that you- couldn't offer him less than — twenty or five- 

 and-twenty punds ; or, say, from that to thirty," continued Jack, see- 

 ing that Puff's countenance remained complacent under the rise. 



"And that you think would be sufficient ?" asked Puff; add- 

 ing -»— " If one does a thing at all, you know it's as well to do it 

 handsomely." 



" True," replied Jack, sticking out his great thick lips, " true. 

 I'm a great advocate for doing things handsomely. Many a row I 

 have had with my lord for thanking fellows, and saying he'll remem- 

 ber them, instead' of giving them sixpence or a shilling ; but really I 

 should say, if you were to give him forty or fifty pund — say a fifty- 

 pund note, he'd be — " 



The rest of the sentence was lost by the appearance of Mr. Sponge, 

 cantering up the avenue on the conspicuous piebald. Mr. Puffington 

 and Mr. Spraggon greeted him as he alighted at the door. 



Sponge was quickly followed by Tom Washball ; then came 

 Charley Slapp and Lumpleg, and Captain Guano came in a gig. 

 Mutual bows and bobs and shakes of the hand being exchanged, 

 amid offers of " anything before dinner " from the host, the guests 

 were at length shown to their respective apartments, from which in 

 due time they emerged, looking like so many bridegrooms. 



First came the worthy master of the hounds himself, in his scarlet 

 dress-coat, lined with white satin ; Tom Washball, and Charley 

 Slapp also sported Puff's uniform; while Captain Guano, who was 



