276 mr. sponge's sporting tour. 



" And ask him to come and stay here," continued Mrs. Joggl- 

 bury. 



" Perhaps he mightn't like it (puff)," replied Jogglebury. " I 

 don't know that we could (puff) entertain him as he's (wheeze) accus- 

 tomed to be," added he. 



"Oh, nonsense," replied Mrs. Jogglebury; "we can entertain 

 him well enough. You always say fox-hunters are not ceremonious. 

 I tell you what, Jog, you don't think half enough of 3 7 ourself. You 

 are far too easily set aside. My word ! but I know some people who 

 would give themselves pretty airs if their husband was chairman of a 

 board of guardians, and trustee of I don't know how many of Her 

 Majesty's turnpike-roads," Mrs. Jog here thinking of her sister Mrs. 

 Springwheat, who, she used to say, had married a mere farmer. " I 

 tell you, Jog, you're far too humble, you don't think half enough of 

 yourself." 



" Well, but, my (puff) dear, you don't (puff) consider that all 

 people ain't (puff) fond of (wheeze) children," observed Jogglebury, 

 after a pause. " Indeed, I've (puff) observed that some (wheeze) 

 don't like them." 



" Oh, but those will be nasty little brats, like Mrs. James Waken- 

 shaw's, or Mrs. Tom Cheek's. But such children as ours ! such 

 charmers ! such delights ! there isn't a man in the county, from the 

 Lord-Lieutenant downwards, who wouldn't be proud— who wouldn't 

 think it a compliment — to be asked to be god-papa to such children. 

 I tell you what, Mr. Jogglebury Crowdey, it would be far better to 

 get them rich god-papas and god-mammas than to leave them a whole 

 house full of sticks." 



" Well, but, my (puff) dear, the (wheeze) sticks will prove very 

 valuable (wheeze) hereafter," replied Jogglebury, bridling up at the 

 imputation on his hobby. 



" I hope so," replied Mrs. Jogglebury, in a tone of incredulity. 



" Well, but, my (puff) dear, I (wheeze) tell you that they will be 

 — indeed (puff), I may (wheeze) say that they (puff) are. It was only 

 the other (puff) day that (wheeze) Patrick O'Fogo offered me five- 

 and-twenty (wheeze) shillings for my (puff) blackthorn Daniel O'Con- 

 nell, which is by no means so (puff) good as the (wheeze) wild-cherry 

 one, or, indeed (puff), as the yew-tree one that I (wheeze) cut out of 

 Spankerley Park." 



" I'd have taken it if I'd been you," observed Mrs. Jogglebury. 



" But he's (puff) worth far more," retorted Jogglebury, angrily ; 

 " why, (wheeze) Lumpleg offered me as much for Disraeli." 



" Well, I'd have taken it, too," rejoined Mrs. Jogglebury. 



" But I should have (wheeze) spoilt my (pull) set," replied the 

 gibbey-stick man. " S'pose any (wheeze) body was to (puff) offer me 

 five guineas a (puff) pieco for the (puff) pick of my (puff) collection — 

 my (puff) Wellingtons, my (wheeze) Napoleons, my (puff) Byrons, 



