334 



MR. SPONGE S SPORTING TOUR. 



of the whip, and the prolonged yeca-yu-u-p of Mr. Sponge's arrival. 

 Presently the trampling of a horse was heard passing round to the 

 stable. The clock then struck one. 



" Pretty hour for a man to come home to a strange house ! " ob- 

 served Mr. Jog, for the nurse, or Murry Ann, or Mrs. Jog, or any 

 one that liked, to take up. 



Mrs. Jog was busy with the rhubarb and magnesia, and the 

 others said nothing. After the lapse of a few minutes, the clank, 

 clank, clank of Mr. Sponge's spurs was heard as he passed round to 

 the front, and Mr. Jog stole out on to the landing to see how he would 

 get in. 



Thump! thump! thump! went Mr. Sponge at the door; rap 

 — tap — tap, he went at it with his whip. 



" Coniin', sir ! comin' ! " exclaimed Bartholomew from the inside 



Presently the shooting of bolts, the withdrawal of bands, and 

 the opening of doors, were heard. 



" Not gone to bed yet, old boy ? " said Mr. Sponge, as he entered. 



" No, thir ! " snuffled the boy ; who had a bad cold, " been thitten 

 up for you." 



" Old puff-and-blow gone ? " asked Mr. Sponge, depositing his hat 

 and whip on a chair. 



The boy gave no answer. 



" Is old bellow s-to-mend gone to bed ? " asked Mr. Sponge in a 

 louder voice. 



" The charman's gone," replied the boy, who looked upon his 

 master — the chairman of the Stir-it-stiff Union — as the impersonifi- 

 cation of all earthly greatness. 



"Dash your impittance," growled Jog, slinking back into the 

 nursery — " Fll pay you off ! (puff)," added he, with a jerk of his 

 white night-capped head, " Fll bellow s-to-m.end you ! (wheeze)." 



CHAPTER LIV. 



FAMILY JARS. 



Gustavus James's internal qualms being at length appeased, Mr. 

 Jogglebury Crowdey returned to bed, but not to sleep — sleep there 

 was none for him. He was full of indignation and jealousy, and 

 felt suspicious of the very bolster itself. He had been insulted — 

 grossly insulted. Three such names — the " Woolpack," " Old puff- 

 and-blow," and " Bellows-to-mend " — no gentleman, surely, ever was 

 called before by a guest in his own house. Called, too, before his 



