heard anything fresh?'

'Nothing particular. The County Court bailiff was here with some summonses,
which, of course, he put in the fire.'

'Ah! that's what he always does. He got tired of papering the smoking-room
with them,' replied Seedeybuck.

'Well, it's a pity,' observed Quod, spitting as he spoke; 'but what can you
expect, eaten up as he is by such a set of rubbish.'

'Shockin',' replied Seedeybuck, thinking how long he and his friend might
have fattened there together.

'Do you know anything of this Mr. Sponge?' asked Captain Quod, after a
pause.

'Nothin',' replied Seedeybuck, 'except what we saw of him here; but I'm
sure he won't do.'

'Well, I think not either,' replied Quod; 'I didn't like his looks--he
seems quite one of the free-and-easy sort.'

'Quite,' observed Seedeybuck, determined to make a set against him, instead
of cultivating his acquaintance.

'This Mr. Sponge won't be any great addition to our party, I think,'
muttered Captain Bouncey to Captain Cutitfat, as they stood within the bay
of the library window, in apparent contemplation of the cows, but in
reality conning the Sponge matter over in their minds.

'I think not,' replied Captain Cutitfat, with an emphasis.

'Wonder what made Sir Harry ask him!' whispered Bouncey, adding, aloud, for
the bystanders to hear, 'That's a fine cow, isn't it?'

'Very,' replied Cutitfat, in the same key, adding, in a whisper, with a
shrug of his shoulders, 'Wonder what made him ask half the people that are
here!'

'The black and white one isn't a bad un,' observed Bouncey, nodding his
head towards the cows, adding in an undertone, 'Most of them asked
themselves, I should think.'

'Admiring the cows. Captain Bouncey?' asked the beautiful and tolerably
virtuous Miss Glitters, of the Astley's Royal Amphitheatre, who had come
down to spend a few days with her old friend, Lady Scattercash. 'Admiring
the cows, Captain Bouncey?' asked she, sidling her elegant figure between
our friends in the bay.

'We were just saying how nice it would be to have two or three pretty
girls, and a sillabub, under those cedars,' replied Captain Bouncey.

'Oh, charming!' exclaimed Miss Glitters, her dark eyes sparkling as she
spoke. 'Harriet!' exclaimed she, addressing herself to a young lady, who
called herself Howard, but whose real name was Brown--Jane
Brown--'Harriet!' exclaimed she, 'Captain Bouncey is going to give a _fete
champetre_ under those lovely cedars.'