424 mr. sponge's sporting tour. 



guished u turfite," who had participated with impunity in nearly all 

 the great robberies of the last forty years, was doomed to transporta- 

 tion. And yet we have seen this cracksman captain — for he, too, 

 was a captain at times — jostling and bellowing for odds among some 

 of the highest and noblest of the land ! 



Leather has descended to the cab-stand, of which he promises to 

 be a distinguished ornament. He haunts the Piccadilly stands, and 

 has what he calls " 'stablish'd a raw" on Mr. Sponge to the extent 

 of three-and-sixpence a week, under threats of exposing the robbery 

 Sponge committed on our friend Mr. Waffles. That volatile genius, 

 we are happy to add, is quite well, and open to the attentions of any 

 young lady who thinks she can tame a wild young man. His financial 

 affairs are not irretrievable. 



And now for the hero and heroine of our tale. The Sponges — 

 for our friend married Lucy shortly after the steeple-chase — stayed 

 at Nonsuch House until the bailiffs walked in. Sir Harry then 

 bolted to Boulogne, where he shortly afterwards died, and Bugles 

 very properly married my lady. They are now living at Wands- 

 worth; Mr. Bugles and Lady Scattercash, very " much thought of" 

 — as Bugles says, 



Although Mr. Sponge did not gain as much by winning the 

 steeple-chase as he would have done had Hercules allowed him to 

 lose it, he still did pretty well ; and being at length starved out of 

 Nonsuch House, he arrived at his old quarters, the Bantam, in Bond 

 Street, where he turned his attention very seriously to providing for 

 Lucy and the little Sponge, who had now issued its prospectus. He 

 thought over all the ways and means of making money without 

 capital, rejecting Australia and California as unfit for sportsmen and 

 men fond of their " Moggs." Professional steeple-chasing Lucy de- 

 cried, declaring she would rather return to her flag-exercises at 

 Astley's, as soon as she was able, than have her dear Sponge risking 

 his neck that way. Our friend at length began to fear fortune- 

 making was not so easy as he thought — indeed, he was soon sure 

 of it. 



One day as he was staring vacantly out of the Bantam cofl'ee- 

 room window, between the gilt labels " Hot Soups " and " Dinners," 

 he was suddenly seized with a fit of virtuous indignation at the dis- 

 reputable frauds practised by unprincipled adventurers on the unwary 

 public, in the way of betting-offices, and resolved that he would be 

 the St. George to slay this great dragon of abuse. Accordingly, 

 after due consultation with Lucy, he invested his all in fitting up and 

 decorating the splendid establishment in Jermyn Street, St. James's, 

 now known as the SroNGE Cigar and Betting Booms, whose rich- 

 ness neither pen nor pencil can do justice to. 



We must, therefore, entreat our readers to visit this emporium 

 of honesty, where, in addition to finding lists posted on all the great 



