y beautiful!' exclaimed Mr. Sponge; 'very beautiful! One of Moore's,
isn't it? Thank you, my little dear, thank you,' added he, chucking him
under the chin, and putting on his hat to be off.

'O, but stop, Mr. Sponge!' exclaimed Mrs. Jogglebury, 'you haven't heard it
all--there's more yet.'

Then turning to the child, she thus attempted to give him the cue.

'O, ho! bother--'

'Now, then! time's hup!' again shouted Jogglebury into the passage.

'O dear, Mr. Jogglebury, will you hold your stoopid tongue!' exclaimed she,
adding, 'you certainly are the most tiresome man under the sun.' She then
turned to the child with:

'O ho! bother Ichard' again.

But the child was mute, and Mr. Sponge fearing, from some indistinct
growling that proceeded from the carriage, that a storm was brewing,
endeavoured to cut short the entertainment by exclaiming:

'Wonderful two-year-old! Pity he's not in the Darby. Dare say he'll tell me
the rest when I come back.'

But this only added fuel to the fire of Mrs. Jogglebury's ardour, and made
her more anxious that Sponge should not lose a word of it. Accordingly she
gave the fat dumpling another jerk up on her arm, and repeated:

'O ho! bother Ichard, the--What's very high?' asked Mrs. Jogglebury
coaxingly.

'Sun's very high,'

replied the child.

'Yes, my darling!' exclaimed the delighted mamma. Mrs. Jogglebury then
proceeded with:

'Ou go before--'
CHILD.--'With bottle and bag,'
MAMMA.--'And I'll follow after--'
CHILD.--'With 'ittle Jack Nag.'

'Well now, that _is_ wonderful!' exclaimed Mr. Sponge, hurrying on his
dog-skin gloves, and wishing both Obin and Ichard farther.

'Isn't it!' exclaimed Mrs. Jogglebury, in ecstasies; then addressing the
child, she said, 'Now that _is_ a good boy--that _is_ a fine fellow. Now
couldn't he say it all over by himself, doesn't he think?' Mrs. Jogglebury
looking at Sponge, as if she was meditating the richest possible treat for
him.

'Oh,' replied Mr. Sponge, quite tired of the detention, 'he'll tell me it
when I return--he'll tell me it when I return,' at the same time giving the
child another parting chuck under the chin. But the child was not to be put
off in that way, and instead of crouching, and nestling, and hiding its
face, it looked up quite boldly, and after a little hesitation went through
'Obin and Ichard,' to the delight of Mrs. Jogglebury, the mortification of
Sponge, and the growling