366 mr. 



" So he said," replied Leather; " so he said. I met him as I 

 com'd in with the osses, and said he to me, said he, ' You'll find 

 captle quarters at the Crown ! ' " 



" The deuce ! exclaimed Mr. Sponge, dropping the reins on his 

 hack's neck; "the deuce /" repeated he, with a look of disgust. 

 " Why, where does he live ? " 



" 'Bove the saddler's, thonder," replied Leather, nodding to a 

 small bow-windowed white house a little lower down, with the gilt- 

 lettered words : — 



1 OVEREND, 



SADDLER AND HARNESS-MAKER TO THE QUEEN, 



above a very meagrely stocked shop. 



" The devil ! " replied Mr. Sponge, boiling up as he eyed the 

 cottage-like dimensions of the place. 



The dialogue was interrupted by a sledge-hammer-like blow on 

 Sponge's back, followed by such a proffered hand as could proceed 

 from none but his host. 



" Glad to see ye ! " exclaimed Facey, swinging Sponge's arm 

 to and fro. " Get off ! " continued he, half dragging him down, 

 " and let's go in ; for it's beastly cold, and dinner '11 be ready in no 

 time ! " 



So saying, he led the captive Sponge down street, like a prisoner, 

 by the arm, and, opening the thin house-door, pushed him up a very 

 straight staircase into a little low cabin-like room, hung with boxing- 

 gloves, foils, and pictures of fighters and ballet-girls. 



" Glad to see ye ! " again said Facey, poking the diminutive fire. 

 " Axed Nosey Nickel and Gutty Weazel to meet you," continued he, 

 looking at the little " dinner-for-two " table ; but Nosey's gone wrong 

 in a tooth, and Gutty's away sweetheartin'. However, we'll be very 

 cozey and jolly together, and if you want to wash your hands, or 

 anything afore dinner, I'll show you your bedroom," continued he, 

 backing Sponge across the staircase landing to where a couple of lit- 

 tle black doors opened into rooms, formed by dividing what had been 

 the duplicate of a sitting-room into two. 



" There ! " exclaimed Facey, pointing to Sponge's portmanteau 

 and bag, standing midway between the window and door ; — " There ! 

 there are your traps. Yonder's the washhand-stand. You can put 

 your shavin'-things on the chair below the lookin'-glass 'gainst the 

 wall," pointing to a fragment of glass nailed against the stencilled 

 wall, all of which Sponge stood eyeing with a mingled air of resig- 

 nation and contempt ; but when Facey pointed to — 



" The chest, contrived a double debt to pay — 

 A bed by night, a chest of drawers by day ; " 



