onable time, say an hour or an hour and twenty minutes, to
improvise it in, he would have said something uncommonly sharp; as it was
he left him with the pertinent inquiry we have recorded--'What have you to
do with Robins, the mole-catcher?' We need hardly say that this little
incident did not at all ingratiate Mr. Sponge with his host, who re-entered
his house in a worse humour than ever. It was insulting a gentleman on his
own ter-ri-tory--bearding an Englishman in his own castle. 'Not to be borne
(puff),' said Jog.

It was now nearly five o'clock, Jog's dinner hour, and still no Mr. Sponge.
Mrs. Jog proposed waiting half an hour, indeed, she had told Susan, the
cook, to keep the dinner back a little, to give Mr. Sponge a chance, who
could not possibly change his tight hunting things for his evening tights
in the short space of time that Jog could drop off his loose-flowing
garments, wash his hands, and run the comb through his lank, candle-like
hair.

Five o'clock struck, and Jog was just applying his hand to the fat
red-and-black worsted bell-pull, when Mrs. Jog announced what she had done.

'Put off the dinner (wheeze)! put off the dinner (puff)!' repeated he,
blowing furiously into his clean shirt-frill, which stuck up under his nose
like a hand-saw; 'put off the dinner (wheeze)! put off the dinner (puff), I
wish you wouldn't do such (wheeze) things without consulting (gasp) me.'

'Well, but, my dear, you couldn't possibly sit down without him,' observed
Mrs. Jog mildly.

'Possibly! (puff), possibly! (wheeze),' repeated Jog. 'There's no possibly
in the matter,' retorted he, blowing more furiously into the frill.

Mrs. Jog was silent.

'A man should conform to the (puff) hours of the (wheeze) house,' observed
Jog, after a pause.

'Well, but, my dear, you know hunters are always allowed a little law,'
observed Mrs. Jog.

'Law! (puff), law! (wheeze),' retorted Jog. 'I never want any law,'
thinking of Smiler _v._ Jogglebury.

Half-past five o'clock came, and still no Sponge; and Mrs. Jog, thinking it
would be better to arrange to have something hot for him when he came, than
to do further battle with her husband, gave the bell the double ring
indicative of 'bring dinner.'

'Nay (puff), nay (wheeze); when you have (gasp)ed so long,' growled Jog,
taking the other tack, 'you might as well have (wheez)ed a little
longer'--snorting into his frill as he spoke.

Mrs. Jogglebury said nothing, but slipped quietl