MB. sponge's sporting tour. 291 



M All, I see," replied Mr. Sponge ; " you mean to say you wouldn't 

 know how to strike the average so as to say what I ought to pay." 



u Just so," rejoined Mr. Jogglebury, jumping at the idea. 



" Ah, well," said Mr. Sponge, in a tone of indifference; " it's no 

 great odds, — it's no great odds, — more the name of the thing than 

 anything else ; one likes to be independent, you know — one likes to 

 be independent ; but as I shan't be with you long, I'll just put up 

 with it for once, — I'll just put up with it for once, — and let you find 

 me — and let you find me." So saying, he walked away, leaving Jog- 

 glebury petrified at his impudence. 



" That husband of yours is a monstrous good fellow," observed 

 Mr. Sponge to Mrs. Jogglebury, who he now met coming out with 

 her tail ; he will insist on my having my horses over here, — most 

 liberal, handsome thing of him, I'm sure ; and that reminds me, can 

 you manage to put up my servant ? " 



" I dare say we can," replied Mrs. Jogglebury, thoughtfully. 

 " He's not a very fine gentleman, is he ? " asked she, knowing that 

 servants were often more difficult to please than their masters. 



" Oh, not at all," replied Sponge; "not at all, — wouldn't suit 

 me if he was — wouldn't suit me if he was." 



Just then up waddled Jogglebury, puffing and wheezing like a 

 stranded grampus ; the idea having just struck him that he might 

 get off on the plea of not having room for the servant. 



" It's very unfortunate (wheeze), — that's to say, it never occurred 

 to me (puff), but I quite forgot (gasp) that we haven't (wheeze) room 

 for your (puff) servant." 



" Ah, you are a good fellow," replied Mr. Sponge — M a devilish 

 good fellow. I was just telling Mrs. Jogglebury — wasn't I, Mrs. 

 Jogglebury ? — what an excellent fellow you are, and how kind you'd 

 been' about the horses and corn, and all that sort of thing, when it 

 occurred to me that it mighn't be convenient, p'raps, to put up a 

 servant ; but your wife assures me that it will ; so that settles the 

 matter, you know — that settles the matter, and I'll now send for the 

 horses forthwith." 



Jog was utterly disconcerted, and didn't know which way to turn 

 for an excuse. Mrs. Jogglebury, though she would rather have been 

 without the establishment, did not like to peril Gustavus James's 

 prospects by appearing displeased ; so she smilingly said she would 

 gee and do what they could. 



Mr. Sponge then procured a messenger to take a note to Hanby 

 House, for Mr. Leather, and having written it, amused himself for a 

 time with his cigars and his " Mogg " in his bedroom, and then 

 turned out to see the stable got ready, and pick up any information 

 about the hounds, or anything else, from anybody he could lay hold 

 of. As luck would have it, he fell in with a groom travelling a horse 

 to hunt with Sir Harry Scattercash's hounds, which, he said, met at 



