t' was in the
following letter:

'DEAR WAFFLES,

'My lawyer has seen Chousam, and deuced stiff he says he was. It seems
Bullfrog is indignant at being accused of a "do"; and having got me in the
wrong box, by not being able to return the horse as claimed, he meant to
work me. At first Chousam would hear of nothing but "l--a--w." Bullfrog's
wounded honour could only be salved that way. Gradually, however, we
diverged from l--a--w to L--s.--d.; and the upshot of it is, that he will
advise his lordship to take L250 and be done with it. It's a bore; but I
did it for the best, and shall be glad now to know your wishes on the
subject. Meanwhile, I remain,

'Yours very truly,

'H. SPONGE.

'To W. WAFFLES, Esq.'

Formerly a remittance by post used to speak for itself. The tender-fingered
clerks could detect an enclosure, however skilfully folded. Few people
grudged double postage in those days. Now one letter is so much like
another, that nothing short of opening them makes one any wiser. Mr. Sponge
received Mr. Waffles' answer from the hands of the waiter with the sort of
feeling that it was only the continuation of their correspondence. Judge,
then, of his delight, when a nice, clean, crisp promissory note, on a
five-shilling stamp, fell quivering to the floor. A few lines, expressive
of Mr. Waffles' gratitude for the trouble our hero had taken, and hopes
that it would not be inconvenient to take a note at two months,
accompanied it. At first Mr. Sponge was overjoyed. It would set him up for
the season. He thought how he'd spend it. He had half a mind to go to
Melton. There were no heiresses there, or else he would. Leamington would
do, only it was rather expensive. Then he thought he might as well have
done Waffles a little more.

'Confound it!' exclaimed Sponge, 'I don't do myself justice! I'm too much
of a gentleman! I should have had five 'under'd--such an ass as Waffles
deserves to be done!'

CHAPTER XIII

A NEW SCHEME

[Illustration]

Our friend Soapey was now in good feather; he had got a large price for his
good-for-nothing horse, with a very handsome bonus for not getting him
back, making him better off than he had been for some time. Gentlemen of
his calibre are generally extremely affluent in everything except cash.
They have bills without end--bills that nobody will touch, and book debts
in abundance--book debts entered with metallic pencils in curious little
clasped pocket-bo