Presently Leather appeared, jean-jacketed and gaitered, smoothing his hair
over his forehead, after the manner of the brotherhood.
'Leather,' said Mr. Sponge, in the same tone of importance, 'I'm going to
this gentleman's'; for as yet he had not sufficiently mastered the name to
be able to venture upon it in the owner's presence. 'Leather, I'm going to
this gentleman's, and I want you to bring me a horse over in the morning;
or stay,' said he, interrupting himself, and, turning to Jogglebury, he
exclaimed, 'I dare say you could manage to put me up a couple of horses,
couldn't you? and then we should be all cosy and jolly together, you know.'
''Pon my word,' gasped Jogglebury nearly choked by the proposal; ''pon my
word, I can hardly (puff) say, I hardly (wheeze) know, but if you'll
(puff--wheeze) allow me, I'll tell you what I'll do: I'll (puff--wheeze)
home, and see what I can (puff) do in the way of entertainment for
(puff--wheeze) man as well as for (puff--wheeze) horse.'
'Oh, _thank you_, my dear fellow!' exclaimed Sponge, seeing the intended
dodge; '_thank you_, my dear fellow!' repeated he; 'but that's giving you
too much trouble--_far_ too much trouble!--couldn't think of such a
thing--no, indeed, I couldn't.
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