‘Corked, by Jove!’ exclaimed Jack.

‘It is!’ rejoined Sponge, smelling at his half-emptied glass.

‘Better have another bottle,’ observed Jack.

‘Certainly,’ replied Sponge, ringing the bell.  ’Spigot, this wine’s corked,’ observed Sponge, as old Pomposo entered the room.

‘Is it?’ said Spigot, with the most perfect innocence, though he knew it came out of the corked batch.  ‘I’ll bring another bottle,’ added he, carrying it off as if he had a whole pipe at command, though in reality he had but another out.  This fortunately was less corked than the first; and Jack having given an approving smack of his great thick lips, Mr. Sponge took it on his judgement, and gave a nod to Spigot, who forthwith took his departure.

‘Old trick that,’ observed Jack, with a shake of the head, as Spigot shut the door.

‘Is it?’ observed Mr. Sponge, taking up the observation, though in reality it was addressed to the fire.

‘Noted for it,’ replied Jack, squinting at the sideboard, though he was staring intently at Sponge to see how he took it.

‘Well, I thought we had a bottle with a queer smatch the other night,’ observed Sponge.

‘Old Blossomnose corked half a dozen in succession one night,’ replied Jack.

(He had corked three, but Jawleyford re-corked them, and Spigot was now reproducing them to our friends.)

Although they had now got the ice broken, and entered into something like a conversation, it nevertheless went on very slowly, and they seemed to weigh each word before it was uttered.  Jack, too, had time to run his peculiar situation through his mind, and ponder on his mission from Lord Scamperdale—­on his lordship’s detestation of Mr. Sponge, his anxiety to get rid of him, his promised corner in his will, and his lordship’s hint about buying Sponge’s horses if he could not get rid of him in any other way.

Sponge, on his part, was thinking if there was any possibility of turning Jack to account.

It may seem strange to the uninitiated that there should be prospect of gain to a middle-man in the matter of a horse-deal, save in the legitimate trade of auctioneers and commission stable-keepers; but we are sorry to say we have known men calling themselves gentlemen, who have not thought it derogatory to accept a ‘trifle’ for their good offices in the cause.  ’I can buy cheaper than you,’ they say, ’and we may as well divide the trifle between us.’

That was Mr. Spraggon’s principle, only that the word ‘trifle’ inadequately conveys his opinion on the point; Jack’s notion being that a man was entitled to 5_l._ per cent. as of right, and as much more as he could get.