'Mr. (puff) Sponge, Mrs.
(gasp) Jogglebury (wheeze) Crowdey,' continued he, motioning with his hand.
Finding himself in the presence of his handsome hostess, Sponge made her
one of his best bows, and offered to resign his seat in the carriage to
her. This she declined, alleging that she had the children with
her--looking round on the grinning, gaping group, the majority of them with
their mouths smeared with lollipops. Crowdey, who was not so stupid as he
looked, was nettled at Sponge's attempting to fix his wife upon him at
such a critical moment, and immediately retaliated with, 'P'raps (puff)
you'd like to (puff) out and (wheeze) walk.'
There was no help for this, and Sponge having alighted, Mr. Crowdey said,
half to Mr. Sponge and half to his fine wife, 'Then (puff--wheeze) I'll
just (puff) on and get Mr. (wheeze) Sponge's room ready.' So saying, he
gave the old nag a hearty jerk with the bit, and two or three longitudinal
cuts with the knotty-pointed whip, and jingled away with a bevy of children
shouting, hanging on, and dragging behind, amidst exclamations from Mrs.
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