right eye, and jerking his head over his left
shoulder, looking very frightened all the time. 'Mr. (puff) Sponge, Mrs.
(gasp) Jogglebury (wheeze) Crowdey,' continued he, motioning with his hand.

Finding himself in the presence of his handsome hostess, Sponge made her
one of his best bows, and offered to resign his seat in the carriage to
her. This she declined, alleging that she had the children with
her--looking round on the grinning, gaping group, the majority of them with
their mouths smeared with lollipops. Crowdey, who was not so stupid as he
looked, was nettled at Sponge's attempting to fix his wife upon him at
such a critical moment, and immediately retaliated with, 'P'raps (puff)
you'd like to (puff) out and (wheeze) walk.'

There was no help for this, and Sponge having alighted, Mr. Crowdey said,
half to Mr. Sponge and half to his fine wife, 'Then (puff--wheeze) I'll
just (puff) on and get Mr. (wheeze) Sponge's room ready.' So saying, he
gave the old nag a hearty jerk with the bit, and two or three longitudinal
cuts with the knotty-pointed whip, and jingled away with a bevy of children
shouting, hanging on, and dragging behind, amidst exclamations from Mrs.
Crowdey, of 'O Anna Maria! Juliana Jane! O Frederick James, you naughty
boy! you'll spoil your new shoes! Archibald John, you'll be kilt! you'll be
run over to a certainty. O Jogglebury, you inhuman man!' continued she,
running and brandishing her alpaca parasol, 'you'll run over your children!
you'll run over your children!'

'My (puff) dear,' replied Jogglebury, looking coolly over his shoulder,'
how can they be (wheeze) run over behind?'

[Illustration]

So saying Jogglebury ground away at his leisure.

CHAPTER XLVI

PUDDINGPOTE BOWER, THE SEAT OF JOGGLEBURY CROWDEY, ESQ.

'Your good husband,' observed Mr. Sponge as he now overtook his hostess and
proceeded with her towards the house, 'has insisted upon bringing me over
to spend a few days till my friend Puffington recovers. He's just got the
gout. I said I was 'fraid it mightn't be quite convenient to you, but Mr.
Crowdey assured me you were in the habit of receivin' fox-hunters at short
notice; and so I have taken him at his word, you see, and come.'

Mrs. Jogglebury, who was still out of wind from her run after the carriage,
assured him that she was extremely happy to see him, though she couldn't
help thinking what a noodle Jog was to bring a stranger on a washing-day.
That, however,