‘He’ll wait for you, I suppose?’ observed Sponge, thinking to try Jawleyford on that infallible criterion of favour.

‘Why, if he knew I was coming, I dare say he would,’ replied Jawleyford slowly and deliberately, feeling it was now no time for flashing.  ’If he knew I was coming I dare say he would,’ repeated he; ’indeed, I make no doubt he would:  but one doesn’t like putting great men out of their way; besides which, it’s just as easy to be punctual as otherwise.  When I was in the Bumperkin—­’

‘But your horse is on, isn’t it?’ interrupted Sponge; ’he’ll see your horse there, you know.’

‘Horse on, my dear fellow!’ exclaimed Jawleyford, ’horse on?  No, certainly not.  How should I get there myself, if my horse was on?’

‘Hack, to be sure,’ replied Sponge, striking a light for his cigar.

‘Ah, but then I should have no groom to go with me,’ observed Jawleyford, adding, ’one must make a certain appearance, you know.  But come, my dear Mr. Sponge,’ continued he, laying hold of our hero’s arm, ’let us get to the door, for that cigar of yours will fumigate the whole house; and Mrs. Jawleyford hates the smell of tobacco.’

Spigot, with his attendants in livery, here put a stop to the confab by hurrying past, drawing the bolts, and throwing back the spacious folding doors, as if royalty or Daniel Lambert himself were ‘coming out.’

The noise they made was heard outside; and on reaching the top of the spacious flight of steps, Sponge’s piebald in charge of a dirty village lad, and Jawleyford’s steeds with a sky-blue groom, were seen scuttling under the portoco, for the owners to mount.  The Jawleyford cavalry was none of the best; but Jawleyford was pleased with it, and that is a great thing.  Indeed, a thing had only to be Jawleyford’s, to make Jawleyford excessively fond of it.

‘There!’ exclaimed he, as they reached the third step from the bottom.  ‘There!’ repeated he, seizing Sponge by the arm, ’that’s what I call shape.  You don’t see such an animal as that every day,’ pointing to a not badly formed, but evidently worn-out, over-knee’d bay, that stood knuckling and trembling for Jawleyford to mount.

‘One of the “has beens,” I should say,’ replied Sponge, puffing a cloud of smoke right past Jawleyford’s nose; adding, ’It’s a pity but you could get him four new legs.’

‘Faith, I don’t see that he wants anything of the sort,’ retorted Jawleyford, nettled as well at the smoke as the observation.

‘Well, where “ignorance is bliss,” &c.,’ replied Sponge, with another great puff, which nearly blinded Jawleyford.  ’Get on, and let’s see how he goes,’ added he, passing on to the piebald as he spoke.