s Mr. Sponge a likely man to do it? He
thought he was. But, then, would he blab? He thought he would, and that
would blow him among those by whom he wished to be thought knowing, a man
not to be done. Altogether he was very much perplexed: seventy pounds was a
vast of money; and then there was his watch gone, too! a hundred and more
altogether. He must have been drunk to do it--_very_ drunk, he should say;
and then he began to think whether he had not better treat it as an
after-dinner frolic, and pretend to forget all about it. That seemed
feasible.

All at once it occurred to Pacey that Mr. Spraggon was the purchaser, and
that he was only a middle-man. His headache forsook him for the moment, and
he felt a new man. It was clearly the case, and bit by bit he recollected
all about it. How Jack had told him to challenge the horse, and he would
stand to the bargain; how he had whispered him (Pacey) to name him (Jack)
arbitrator; and how he had done so, and Jack had made the award. Then he
began to think that the horse must be a good one, as Jack would not set too
high a price on him, seeing that he was the purchaser. Then he wondered
that he had put enough on to induce Sponge to sell him: that rather puzzled
him. He lay a long time tossing, and proing and coning, without being able
to arrive at any satisfactory solution of the matter. At last he rang his
bell, and finding it was eight o'clock he got up, and proceeded to dress
himself; which operation being accomplished, he sought Jack's room, to have
a little confidential conversation with him on the subject, and arrange
about paying Sponge for the horse, without letting out who was the
purchaser.

Jack was snoring, with his great mouth wide open, and his grizzly head
enveloped in a white cotton nightcap. The noise of Pacey entering awoke
him.

'Well, old boy' growled he, turning over as soon as he saw who it was,
'what are you up to?'

'Oh, nothing particular,' replied Mr. Pacey, in a careless sort of tone.

'Then make yourself scarce, or I'll baptize you in a way you won't like,'
growled Jack, diving under the bedclothes.

'Oh, why I just wanted to have--have half a dozen words with you about our
last night's' (ha--hem--haw!) 'handicap, you know--about the horse, you
know.'

'About the w-h-a-w-t?' drawled Jack, as if perfectly ignorant of what Pacey
was talking about.

'About the horse, you know--about Mr. Sponge's horse, you know--that you
got me to challenge