Leather, though as impudent a dog as any of them, and far more than a match
for the best of them at a tournament of slang, being on his preferment,
thought it best to be civil, and replied, with a touch of his hat, that
they were 'Mr. Sponge's.'
'Ah! old sponge biscuits!--I know him!' exclaimed a youth in a Tweed
wrapper.' My father married his aunt. Give my love to him, and tell him to
breakfast with me at six in the morning--he! he! he!'
'I say, old boy, that copper-coloured quadruped hasn't got all his shoes on
before,' squeaked a childish voice, now raised for the first time.
'That's intended, gov'nor,' growled Leather, riding on, indignant at the
idea of any one attempting to 'sell him' with such an old stable joke. So
Leather passed on through the now splendidly lit up streets, the large
plate-glass windowed shops, radiant with gas, exhibiting rich,
many-coloured velvets, silver gauzes, ribbons without end, fancy flowers,
elegant shawls labelled 'Very chaste,' 'Patronized by Royalty,' 'Quite the
go!' and white kid-gloves in such profusion that there seemed to be a pair
for every person in the place.
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