MR. sponge's sporting tour. 263 



signation of his watch and chain. He thought he was wrong to do 

 anything of the sort. He didn't want the horse, not he. What 

 should he do with him ? he had one more than he wanted, as it was. 

 Then, paying for him seventy sovereigns ! confound it, it would be 

 very inconvenient — most inconvenient — indeed, he couldn't do it, so 

 there was an end of it. The facilities of carrying out after-dinner 

 transactions frequently vanish with the morning's sun. So it was 

 with Mr. Pacey. Then he began to think how to get out of it. 

 Should he tell Mr. Sponge candidly the state of his finances, and 

 trust to his generosity for letting him off ? Was Mr. Sponge a likely 

 man to do it ? He thought he was. But then, would he blab ? He 

 thought he would, and that would blow him among those by whom 

 he wished to be thought knowing, a man not to be done. Altogether 

 he was very much perplexed : seventy pounds was a vast of money ; 

 and then there was his watch gone, too ! a hundred and more alto- 

 gether. He must have been drunk to do it — very drunk, he should 

 say ; and then he began to think whether he had not better treat it 

 as an after-dinner frolic, and pretend to forget all about it. That 

 seemed feasible. 



All at once it occurred to Mr. Pacey that Mr. Spraggon was the 

 purchaser, and that he was only a middle-man. His headache for- 

 sook him for the moment, and he felt a new man. It was clearly the 

 case, and bit by bit he recollected all about it. How Jack had told 

 him to challenge the horse, and he would stand to the bargain ; how 

 he had whispered him (Pacey) to name him (Jack) arbitrator ; and 

 how he had done so, and Jack had made the award. Then he began 

 to think that the horse must be a good one, as Jack would not set 

 too high a price on him, seeing that he was the purchaser. Then he 

 wondered that he put enough on him to induce Sponge to sell him : 

 that rather puzzled him. He lay a long time tossing, and proing and 

 coning, without being .able to arrive at any satisfactory solution of 

 the matter. At last he rang his bell, and finding it was eight o'clock 

 he got up, and proceeded to dress himself; which operation being 

 accomplished, he sought Jack's room, to have a little confidential 

 conversation with him on the subject, and arrange about paying- 

 Sponge for the horse without letting out who was the purchaser. 



Jack was snoring, with his great mouth wide open, and his grizzly 

 head enveloped in a white cotton nightcap. The noise of Pacey 

 entering awoke him. 



" Well, old boy," growled he, turning over as soon as he saw who 

 it was, " what are you up to ? " 



" Oh, nothing particular," replied Mr. Pacey, in a careless sort of 

 tone. 



" Then make yourself scarce, or I'll baptise you in a way you 

 won't like," growled Jack, diving under the bedclothes. 



a Oh, why I just wanted to have — have half-a-dozen words with 



