mr. sponge's SPORTING TOUR. 231 



were the candle examinations, solemn the sips, and sounding the 

 smacks that preceded the delivery of their Campbell-like judgments. 



The conversation, which at first was altogether upon wine, grad- 

 ually diverged upon sporting, and they presently brewed up a very 

 considerable cry. Foremost among the noisy ones was Captain Guano. 

 He seemed inclined to take the shine out- of everybody . 



" Oh ! if they could but find a good fox that would give them a run 

 of ten miles — say, ten miles — just ten miles would satisfy him — say, 

 from Barnesley Wold to Chingforde Wood, or from Carleburg Clump 

 to Wetherden Head. He was going to ride his famous horse Jack-a- 

 Dandy — the finest horse that ever was foaled ! No day too long for 

 him — no pace too great for him — no fence too stiff for him — no brook 

 too broad for him." 



Tom Washball, too, talked as if wearing a red coat was not the 

 only purpose for which he hunted ; and altogether they seemed to be 

 an amazing sporting, hard-riding set. 



When at length they rose to go to bed, it struck each man as he 

 followed his neighbour upstairs that the one before him walked very 

 crookedly. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



Day dawned cheerfully. If there was rather more sun than the 

 strict rules of Beckford prescribe, still sunshine is not a thing to 

 quarrel with under any circumstances — certainly not for a gentleman to 

 quarrel with who wants his place seen to advantage on the occasion of 

 a meet of hounds. Everything at Hanby House was in apple-pie 

 order. All the stray leaves that the capricious wintry winds still 

 kept raising from unknown quarters, and whisking about the trim 

 lawns, were hunted and caught, while a heavy roller passed over the 

 Kensington gravel, pressing out the hoof and wheelmarks of the pre- 

 vious day. The servants were up betimes, preparing the house for 

 those that were in it, and a dljekner d lafourchette for chance cus- 

 tomers, from without. 



They were equally busy at the stable. Although Mr. Bragg did 

 profess such indifference for Mr. Sponge's opinion, he nevertheless 

 thought it might perhaps be as well to be condescending to the stranger. 

 Accordingly, he ordered his whips to be on the alert, to tie their ties 

 and put on their boots as they ought to be, and to hoist their caps 

 becomingly on the appearance of our friend. Bragg, like a good 

 many huntsmen, had a sort of tariff of politeness, that he indicated by 



