‘What’s happened now?’ asked Jack.

‘How d’ye think he begins?’ asked his lordship, looking at his friend.

‘Can’t tell, I’m sure,’ said Jack, squinting his eyes inside out.

‘Dear Scamp!’ exclaimed his lordship, throwing out his arms.

‘Dear Scamp!’ repeated Jack in astonishment.  ’It must be a mistake.  It must be dear Frost, not dear Scamp.’

‘Dear Scamp is the word,’ replied his lordship, again applying himself to the letter.  ‘Dear Scamp,’ repeated he, with a snort, adding, ’the impudent button-maker!  I’ll dear Scamp him!  “Dear Scamp, our friend Sponge!” Bo-o-y the powers, just fancy that! ’exclaimed his lordship, throwing himself back in his chair, as if thoroughly overcome with disgust. ’Our friend Sponge! the man who nearly knocked me into the middle of the week after next—­the man who, first and last, has broken every bone in my skin—­the man who I hate the sight of, and detest afresh every time I see—­the ’bomination of all ’bominations; and then to call him our friend Sponge!  “Our friend Sponge,"’ continued his lordship, reading, ’"is coming on a visit of inspection to my hounds, and I should be glad if you would meet him."’

‘Shouldn’t wonder!’ exclaimed Jack.

‘Meet him!’ snapped his lordship; ‘I’d go ten miles to avoid him.’

‘"Glad if you would meet him,"’ repeated his lordship, returning to the letter, and reading as follows:  ’"If you bring a couple of nags or so we can put them up, and you may get a wrinkle or two from Bragg.”  A wrinkle or two from Bragg! ’exclaimed his lordship, dropping the letter and rolling in his chair with laughter.  ’A wrinkle or two from Bragg!—­he—­he—­he—­he!  The idea of a wrinkle or two from Bragg!—­haw—­haw—­haw—­haw!

‘That beats cockfightin’,’ observed Jack, squinting frightfully.

‘Doesn’t it?’ replied his lordship.  ’The man who’s so brimful of science that he doesn’t kill above three brace of foxes in a season.’

‘Which Puff calls thirty,’ observed Jack.

‘Th-i-r-ty!’ exclaimed his lordship, adding, ’I’ll lay he’ll not kill thirty in ten years.’

His lordship then picked the letter from the floor, and resumed where he had left off.

‘"I expect you will meet Tom Washball, Lumpleg, and Charley Slapp."’

‘A very pretty party,’ observed Jack, adding, ‘Wouldn’t be seen goin’ to a bull-bait with any on ’em.’

‘Nor I,’ replied his lordship.

‘Birds of a feather,’ observed Jack.

‘Just so,’ said his lordship, resuming his reading.

‘"I think I have a hound that may be useful to you—­” The devil you have!’ exclaimed his lordship, grinding his teeth with disgust.  ’Useful to me, you confounded haberdasher!—­you hav’n’t a hound in your pack that I’d take.  “I think I have a hound that may be useful to you—­“’ repeated his lordship.

‘A Beaufort Justice one, for a guinea!’ interrupted Jack, adding, ’He got the name into his head at Oxford, and has been harping upon it ever since.’