'What's happened now, that
you've put me into this dog-hole?' asked he.
'Oh! I don't know,' replied she, laughing; 'I s'pose they're afraid you'll
bring the old rotten curtains down in the other room with smokin'. Master's
a sad old wife,' added she.
A great change had come over everything. The fare, the lights, the footmen,
the everything, underwent grievous diminution. The lamps were extinguished,
and the transparent wax gave way to Palmer's composites, under the mild
influence of whose unsearching light the young ladies sported their dashed
dresses with impunity. Competition between them, indeed, was about an end.
Amelia claimed Mr. Sponge, should he be worth having, and should the
Scamperdale scheme fail; while Emily, having her mamma's assurance that he
would not do for either of them, resigned herself complacently to what she
could not help.
[Illustration: MR. SPONGE DEMANDING AN EXPLANATION]
Mr. Sponge, on his part, saw that all things portended a close. He cared
nothing about the old willow-pattern set usurping the place of the
Jawleyford-armed china; but the contents of the dishes were bad, and the
wine, if possible, worse.
Pages:
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442