290 



" Where are the stables ? " at last asked Sponge, seeing no incli- 

 nation to move on the part of his host. 



" Stables (wheeze) — stables (puff )," replied Jogglebury, recollect- 

 ing Sponge's previous day's proposal, — " stables (wheeze) are behind," 

 said he, " at the back there (puff) ; nothin' to see at them (wheeze)." 

 " There'll be the horse you drove yesterday ; won't you go to see 

 how he is ? " asked Mr. Sponge. 



" Oh, sure to be well (puff) ; never nothing the matter with him 

 (wheeze)," replied Jogglebury. 



" May as well see," rejoined Mr. Sponge, turning up a narrow 

 walk that seemed to lead to the back. 



Jog followed doggedly. He had a good deal of John Bull in 

 him, and did not fancy being taken possession of in that sort of way ; 

 and thought, moreover, that Mr. Sponge had not behaved very well 

 in the matter of the egg controversy. 



The stables certainly were nothing to boast of. They were in an 

 old rubble-stone, red-tiled building, without even the delicacy of a 

 ceiling. Nevertheless, there was plenty of room even after Joggle- 

 bury had cut off one end for a cow-house. 



" Why, you might hunt the country with all this stabling," ob- 

 served Mr. Sponge, as he entered the low door. " One, two, three, 

 four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Nine stalls, I declare," added he, 

 after counting them. 



" My (puff) uncle used to (wheeze) a good deal of his own (puff) 

 land," replied Jogglebury. 



" Ah, well, I'll tell you what : these stables will be much better 

 for being occupied," observed Mr. Sponge. " And I'll tell you what 

 I'll do for you." 



" But they are occupied ! " gasped Jogglebury, convulsively. 

 "Only half," replied Mr. Sponge ; "or a quarter, I may say — 

 not even that, indeed. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll have my 

 horses over here, and you shall find them in straw in return for the 

 manure, and just charge me for hay and corn at market price, you 

 know. That'll make it all square and fair, and no obligation, you 

 know. I hate obligations," added he, eyeing Jog's disconcerted face. 

 " Oh, but (puff, wheeze, gasp) — " exclaimed Jogglebury, redden- 

 ing up — " I don't (puff) know that I can (gasp) that. I mean (puff) 

 that this (wheeze) stable is all the (gasp) 'commodation I have ; and 

 if we had (puff) company, or (gasp) anything of that sort, I don't 

 know where we should (wheeze) their horses," continued he. " Be- 

 sides, I don't (puff, wheeze) know about the market price of (gasp) 

 corn. My (wheeze) tenant, Tom Hayrick, at the (puff) farm on the 

 (wheeze) hill yonder, supplies me with the (puff) quantity I (wheeze) 

 want, and we just (puff, wheeze, gasp) settle once a (puff) half-year, 



