272 mr. sponge's sporting tour. 



Plumrney was instructed to ply Sponge well with hints, all of which, 

 however, Mr. Sponge skilfully parried. So, at last, Mr. Pufhngton 

 scrawled a miserable looking note', explaining how very ill he was, 

 how he regretted being deprived of Mr. Sponge's agreeable society, 

 but hoping that it would suit Mr. Sponge to return as soon as he 

 was better and pay the remainder of his visit — a pretty intelligible 

 notice to quit, and one which even the cool Mr. Sponge was rather at 

 a loss how to parry. 



He did not like the aspect of affairs. In addition to having to 

 spend the evening by himself, the cook sent him a very moderate 

 dinner, smoked soup, sodden fish, scraggy cutlets, and sour pudding. 

 Mr. Plumrney, too, seemed to have put all the company at bottle- 

 ends together for him. This would not do. If Sponge could have 

 satisfied himself that his host would not be better in a day or two, he 

 would have thought seriously of leaving ; but as he could not bring 

 himself to think that he would not, and, moreover, had no place to 

 go to, had it not been for the concluding portion of Mr. Puffington's 

 note, he would have made an effort to stay. That, however, put it 

 rather out of his power, especially as it was done so politely, and 

 hinted at a renewal of the visit. Mr. Sponge spent the evening in 

 cogitating what he should do — thinking what sportsman had held out 

 the hand of good-fellowship, and hinted at hoping to have the pleasure 

 of seeing him. Fyle, Fossick, Blossomnose, Capon, Dribble, Hook, 

 and others, were all run through his mind, without his thinking it 

 prudent to attempt to fix a volunteer visit upon any of them. Many 

 people he knew could pen polite excuses, who yet could not hit them 

 off at the moment, especially in that great arena of hospitality — the 

 hunting-field. He went to bed very much perplexed. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 



WANTED A RICH GOD-PAPA 1 



u When one door shuts another opens," say the saucy servants ; and 

 fortune was equally favourable to our friend Mr. Sponge. Though 

 he could not think of any one to whom he could volunteer a visit, 

 Dame Fortune provided him with an overture from a party who 

 wanted him ! But we will introduce his new host, or rather victim. 

 People hunt from various motives — some for the love of the thing 

 — some for show — some for fashion — some for health — some for ap- 

 petites — some for coffee-housing — some to say they have hunted — 

 some because others hunt. 



