MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR. 255 



Pacey was one of those deplorable beings — a country swell. 

 Tompkins and Hopkins, the haberdashers of Swillingford, never 

 exhibited an ugly, out-of-the-way neckcloth or waistcoat with the 

 words "patronised by the Prince," "very fashionable," or "quite the 

 go," upon them, but he immediately adorned himself in one. On the 

 present occasion he was attired in a wide-stretching, lace-tippped, 

 black Joinville, with recumbent gills, showing the heavy amplitude 

 of his enormous jaws, while the extreme scooping out of a collarless, 

 flashy-buttoned, chain-daubed, black silk waistcoat, with broad blue 

 stripes, afforded an uninterrupted view of a costly embroidered shirt, 

 the view extending, indeed, up to a portion of his white satin " forget- 

 me-not" embroidered braces. His coat was a broad-sterned, brass- 

 buttoned blue, with pockets outside, and of course he wore a 

 pair of creaking highly varnished boots. He was, apparently, about 

 twenty ; just about the age when a youth thinks it fine to associate 

 with men, and an age at which some men are not above taking advan- 

 tage of a youth. Perhaps he looked rather older than he was, for he 

 was stiff built and strong, with an ample crop of whiskers, extending 

 from his great red docken ears round his harvest moon of a face. 

 He was lumpy, and clumsy, and heavy all over. Having now got 

 inducted, he began to stare round the party, and first addressed our 

 worthy friend Mr. Spraggon. 



" Well, Sprag, how are you ? " asked he. 



"Well, Spec's" (alluding to his father's trade), "how are you?" 

 replied Jack, with a growl, to the evident satisfaction of the party, 

 who seemed to regard Pacey as the common enemy. 



Fortunately just at the moment Mr. Plummey restored harmony 

 by announcing dinner ; and after the usual backing and retiring of 

 mock modesty, Mr. Puffington said he would " show them the way," 

 when there was as great a rush to get in, to avoid the bugbear of 

 sitting with their backs to the fire, as there had been apparent dis- 

 position not to go at all. Notwithstanding the unfavourable aspect 

 of affairs, Mr. Spraggon placed himself next Mr. Pacey, who sat a 

 good way down the table, while Mr. Sponge occupied the post of 

 honour by our host. 



In accordance with the usual tactics of those sort of gentlemen, 

 Spraggon and Sponge essayed to be two — if not exactly strangers, at 

 all events gentlemen with very little acquaintance. Spraggon took 

 advantage of a dead silence to call up the table to Mister Sponge to 

 take wine ; a compliment that Sponge acknowledged the accordance 

 of by a very low bow into his plate, and by-and-by Mister Sponge 

 " Mistered" 31 r. Spraggon to return the compliment. 



" Do you know much of that — that — that — chap ? " (he would 

 have said snob if he'd thought it would be safe,) asked Pacey, as 

 Sponge returned to still life after the first wine ceremony. 



"No," replied Spraggon, "nor do I wish." 



