266 mr. sponge's sporting tour. 



" Oh ! second be hanged," retorted Sponge. " You've nothing to 

 fight about ; Mr. Pacey says he didn't mean anything, that you 

 misunderstood him, and what more can a man want ? " 



"Just so," replied Mr. Pacey — ^'just so. I assure you I never 

 intended the slightest imputation on Mr. Spraggon." 



" I'm sure not," replied Mr. Sponge. 



" H-u-m-p-h" grunted Jack from under the bedclothes, like a pig 

 in the straw. Not showing any disposition to appear on the surface 

 again, Mr. Sponge, after standing a second or two, gave a jerk of his 

 head to Mr. Pacey, and forthwith conducted him into his own room, 

 shutting the door between Mr. Spraggon and him. 



Mr. Sponge then inquired into the matter, kindly sympathising with 

 Mr. Pacey, who he was certain never meant anything disrespectful to 

 Mr. Spraggon, who, Mr. Sponge thought, seemed rather quick at taking 

 offence ; though, doubtless, as Mr. Sponge observed, " a man was per- 

 fectly right in being tenacious of his integrity," a position that he il- 

 lustrated by a familiar passage from Shakspeare, about stealing a purse 

 and stealing trash, &c. 



Emboldened by his kindness, Mr. Pacey then got Mr. Sponge on 

 to talk about the horse of which he had become the unwilling posses- 

 sor — the renowned chestnut, Multum in Parvo. 



Mr. Sponge spoke like a very prudent, conscientious man; said 

 that really it was difficult to give an opinion about a horse ; that what 

 suited one man might not suit another— that he considered Multum 

 in Parvo a very good horse ; indeed, that he wouldn't have parted with 

 him if he hadn't more than he wanted, and the cream of the season had 

 passed without his meeting with any of those casualties that rendered 

 the retention of an extra horse or two desirable. Altogether, he 

 gave Mr. Pacey to understand that he held him to his bargain. 

 Elaving thanked Sponge for his great kindness, and got an order on 

 the groom (Mr. Leather) to have the horse out, Mr. Pacey took his 

 departure to the stable, and Sponge having summoned his neighbour- 

 Mr. Spraggon from his bed, the two proceeded to a passage window 

 that commanded a view of the stable-yard. 



Mr. Pacey presently went swaggering across it, cracking his jockey 

 whip against his leg, followed by Mr. Leather, with a saddle on his 

 shoulder and a bridle in his hand. 



" He'd better keep his whip quiet," observed Mr. Sponge, with a 

 shake of his head, as he watched Pacey's movements. 



" The beggar thinks he can ride anything," observed Jack. 



" He'll find his mistake out just now," replied Sponge. 



Presently the stable-door opened, and the horse stepped slowly 

 and quietly out, looking blooming and bright after his previous day's 

 gallop. Pacey running his eyes over his clean muscular legs and 

 finely-shaped form, thought he hadn't done so far amiss after all. 

 Leather stood at the horse's head whistling and soothing him, feeling 



