‘I think you may as well go and do it,’ replied his lordship, after thinking the matter over; ’I think you may as well go and do it.  Not that he’ll be good to take the conceit out of, but you may vex him a bit; and also learn something of the movements of his friend Sponge.  If he sarves Puff out as he’s sarved me,’ continued his lordship, rubbing his ribs with his elbows, ‘he’ll very soon have enough of him.’

‘Well,’ said Jack, ’I really think it will be worth doing.  I’ve never been at the beggar’s shop, and they say he lives well.’

‘Well, aye!’ exclaimed his lordship; ‘fat o’ the land—­dare say that man has fish and soup every day.’

‘And wax-candles to read by, most likely,’ observed Jack, squinting at the dim mutton-fats that Baggs now brought in.

‘Not so grand as that,’ observed his lordship, doubting whether any man could be guilty of such extravagance; ‘composites, p’raps.’

It being decided that Jack should answer Mr. Puffington’s invitation as well and saucily as he could, and a sheet of very inferior paper being at length discovered in the sideboard drawer, our friends forthwith proceeded to concoct it.  Jack having at length got all square, and the black-ink lines introduced below, dipped his pen in the little stone ink-bottle, and, squinting up at his lordship, said: 

‘How shall I begin?’

‘Begin?’ replied he.  ’Begin—­oh, let’s see—­begin—­begin, “Dear Puff,” to be sure.’

‘That’ll do,’ said Jack, writing away.

(’Dear Puff!’ sneered our friend, when he read it; ’the idea of a fellow like that writing to a man of my p-r-o-r-perty that way.’)

‘Say “Scamp,"’ continued his lordship, dictating again, ’"is engaged, but I’ll be with you at feeding-time."’

(’Scamp’s engaged,’ read Puffington, with a contemptuous curl of the lip,’ Scamp’s engaged:  I like the impudence of a fellow like that calling noblemen nicknames.’)

The letter concluded by advising Puffington to stick to the Beaufort Justice blood, for there was nothing in the world like it.  And now, having got both our friends booked for visits, we must yield precedence to the nobleman, and accompany him to Jawleyford Court.

[Illustration:  LORD SCAMPERDALE AS HE APPEARED IN HIS ‘SWELL’ CLOTHES]

CHAPTER XXXV

LORD SCAMPERDALE AT JAWLEYFORD COURT

Although we have hitherto depicted Lord Scamperdale either in his great uncouth hunting-clothes or in the flare-up red and yellow Stunner tartan, it must not be supposed that he had not fine clothes when he chose to wear them, only he wanted to save them, as he said, to be married in.  That he had fine ones, indeed, was evident from the rig-out he lent Jack when that worthy went to Jawleyford Court, and, in addition to those which were of the evening order, he had an uncommonly smart Stultz frock-coat, with a velvet collar, facings, and cuffs, and a silk lining.  Though so rough and ready among the men, he was quite the dandy among the ladies, and was as anxious about his appearance as a girl of sixteen.  He got himself clipped and trimmed, and shaved with the greatest care, curving his whiskers high on to the cheekbones, leaving a great breadth of bare fallow below.