CHAPTER IX
THE MEET--THE FIND, AND THE FINISH
[Illustration]
Early to bed and early to rise being among Mr. Sponge's maxims, he was
enjoying the view of the pantiles at the back of his hotel shortly after
daylight the next morning, a time about as difficult to fix in a November
day as the age of a lady of a 'certain age.' It takes even an expeditious
dresser ten minutes or a quarter of an hour extra the first time he has to
deal with boots and breeches; and Mr. Sponge being quite a pattern card in
his peculiar line, of course took a good deal more to get himself 'up'.
An accustomed eye could see a more than ordinary stir in the streets that
morning. Riding-masters and their assistants might be seen going along with
strings of saddled and side-saddled screws; flys began to roll at an
earlier hour, and natty tigers to kick about in buckskins prior to
departing with hunters, good, bad, and indifferent.
Each man had told his partner at Miss Jumpheavy's ball of the capital trick
they were going to play the stranger; and a desire to see the stranger, far
more than a desire to see the trick, caused many fair ones to forsake their
downy couches who had much better have kept them.
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