'Oh, how nice!' exclaimed Harriet, clapping her hands in
ecstasies--theatrical ecstasies at least.

'It must be Sir Harry,' replied the billiard-table man, not fancying being
'let in' for anything.

'Oh! Sir Harry will let us have anything we like, I'm sure,' rejoined Miss
Glitters.

'What is it (hiccup)?' asked Sir Harry, who, hearing his name, now joined
the party.

'Oh, we want you to give us a dance under those charming cedars,' replied
the lady, looking lovingly at him.

'Cedars!' hiccuped Sir Harry, 'where do you see any cedars?'

'Why there,' replied Miss Glitters, nodding towards a clump of evergreens.

'Those are (hiccup) hollies,' replied Sir Harry.

[Illustration]

'Well, under the hollies,' rejoined Miss Glitters; adding, 'it was Captain
Bouncey who said they were cedars.'

'Ah, I meant those beyond,' observed the captain, nodding in another
direction.

'Those are (hiccup) Scotch firs,' rejoined Sir Harry.

'Well, never mind what they are,' resumed the lady; 'let us have a dance
under them.'

'Certainly,' replied Sir Harry, who was always ready for anything. 'We
shall have plenty of partners,' observed Miss Howard, recollecting how many
men there were in the house.

'And another coming,' observed Captain Cutitfat, still fretting at the
idea.

'Indeed!' exclaimed Miss Howard, raising her hands and eyebrows in delight;
'and who is he?' asked she, with unfeigned glee.

'Oh such a (hiccup) swell,' replied Sir Harry; 'reg'lar Leicestershire man.
A (hiccup) Quornite, in fact.'

'We'll not have the dance till he comes, then,' observed Miss Glitters.

'No more we will,' said Miss Howard, withdrawing from the group.

CHAPTER LX

FACEY ROMFORD AT HOME

We will now suppose our distinguished Sponge entering the village, or what
the natives call the town of Washingforde, towards the close of a short
December day, on his arrival from Mr. Jog's.

'What sort of stables are there?' asked he, reining up his hack, as he
encountered the brandy-nosed Leather airing himself on the main street.

'Stables be good enough--forage, too,' replied the stud groom--'_per_-wided
you likes the sittivation.'

'Oh, the sittivation 'll be good enough,' retorted Sponge, thinking that,
groom-like, Leather was grumbling because he hadn't got the best stables.

'Well, sir, as you please,' replied the man.

'Why, where are they?' asked Sponge, seeing there was more in Leather's
manner than met the eye.