MR. sponge's SPORTING TOUR. 853 



Passing onward, Mr. Sponge came to a red-baized, brass-nailed 

 door, which, opening freely on a patent-spring, revealed the fine 

 proportions of a light picture-gallery with which the bright niahoga* 

 ny doors of the entertaining rooms communicated. Opening the 

 first door he came to, our friend found himself in the elegant draw- 

 ing-room, on whose round bird's-eye maple table, in the centre, were 

 huddled all the unequal-lengthed candles of the previous night's 

 illumination. It was a handsome apartment, fitted up in the most 

 costly style ; with rose-colour brocaded satin damask, the curtains 

 trimmed with silk tassel fringe, and ornamented with massive bullion 

 tassels on cornices, Cupids supporting wreaths under an arch, with 

 open carved-work and enrichments in burnished gold. The room, 

 save the muster of the candles, was just as it had been left; and the 

 richly gilt sofa still retained the indentations of the sitters, with 

 the luxurious down pillows, left as they had been supporting their 

 backs. 



The room reeked of tobacco, and the ends and ashes of cigars 

 dotted the tables and white marble chimney-piece, and the gilt slabs 

 and the finely-flowered Tournay carpet, just as the fires of gipsies dot 

 and disfigure the fair face of a country. Costly china and nick- 

 nacks of all sorts were scattered about in profusion. Altogether, it 

 was a beautiful room. 



" No want of money here," said Mr. Sponge to himself, as he 

 eyed it, and thought what havoc Grustavus James would make among 

 the ornaments if he had a chance. 



He then looked about for pen, ink, and paper. These were dis- 

 tributed so wide apart as to show the little request they were in. 

 Having at length succeeded in getting what he wanted gathered to- 

 gether, Mr. Sponge sat down on the luxurious sofa, considering how 

 he should address his host, as he hoped. Mr. Sponge was not a shy 

 man, but, considering the circumstances under which he made Sir 

 Harry Scattercash's acquaintance, together with his design upon his 

 hospitality — above all, considering the crew by whom Sir Harry was 

 surrounded — it required some little tact to pave the way without 

 raising the present inmates of the house against him. There are no 

 people so anxious to protect others from robbery as those who are 

 robbing them themselves. Mr. Sponge thought, and thought, and 

 thought. At last he resolved to write on the subject of the hounds. 

 After sundry attempts on pink, blue, and green-tinted paper, he at 

 last succeeded in hitting off the following, on yellow : — 



"Nonsuch Hoi 



" Dear Sir Harry, — I rode over this morning, hearing you were 

 to hunt, and am sorry to find you indisposed. I wish you would 

 drop me a line to Mr. Crowdey's, Puddingpote Bower, saying when 

 next you go out, as I should much like to have another look at your 



