a book I never
travel without. It's invaluable in town, and you may study it to great
advantage in the country. With _Mogg_ in my hand, I can almost fancy myself
in both places at once. Omnibus guide,' added he, turning over the leaves,
and reading, 'Acton five, from the end of Oxford Street and the Edger
Road--see Ealing; Edmonton seven, from Shoreditch Church--"Green Man and
Still" Oxford Street--Shepherd's Bush and Starch Green, Bank, and
Whitechapel--Tooting--Totteridge--Wandsworth; in short, every place near
town. Then the cab fares are truly invaluable; you have ten thousand of
them here,' said he, tapping the book, 'and you may calculate as many more
for yourself as ever you like. Nothing to do but sit in an arm-chair on a
wet day like this, and say, If from the Mile End turnpike to the "Castle"
on the Kingsland Road is so much, how much should it be to the "Yorkshire
Stingo," or Pine-Apple-Place, Maida Vale? And you measure by other fares
till you get as near the place you want as you can, if it isn't set down in
black and white to your hand in the book.'

'Just so,' said Jawleyford, 'just so. It must be a very useful work indeed,
very useful work. I'll get one--I'll get one. How much did you say it
was--a guinea? a guinea?'

'A shilling,' replied Sponge, adding, 'you may have mine for a guinea if
you like.'

'By Jove, what a day it is!' observed Jawleyford, turning the
conversation, as the wind dashed the hard sleet against the window like a
shower of pebbles. 'Lucky to have a good house over one's head, such
weather; and, by the way, that reminds me, I'll show you my new gallery and
collection of curiosities--pictures, busts, marbles, antiques, and so on;
there'll be fires on, and we shall be just as well there as here.' So
saying, Jawleyford led the way through a dark, intricate, shabby passage,
to where a much gilded white door, with a handsome crimson curtain over it
announced the entrance to something better. 'Now,' said Mr. Jawleyford,
bowing as he threw open the door, and motioned, or rather flourished, his
guest to enter--'now,' said he, 'you shall see what you shall see.'

Mr. Sponge entered accordingly, and found himself at the end of a gallery
fifty feet by twenty, and fourteen high, lighted by skylights and small
windows round the top. There were fires in handsome Caen-stone
chimney-pieced fireplaces on either side, a large timepiece and an organ at
the far end, and sundry white basins scattered