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.
The world is generally very complaisant with regard to strangers, so long as they _are_ strangers, generally making them out to be a good deal better than they really are, and Mr.Sponge came in for his full share of stranger credit.

They not only brought all the twenty horses Leather said he had scattered about to Laverick Wells, but made him out to have a house in Eaton Square, a yacht at Cowes, and a first-rate moor in Scotland, and some said a peerage in expectancy.

No wonder that he 'drew,' as theatrical people say.
Let us now suppose him breakfasted, and ready for a start.
He was 'got up' with uncommon care in the most complete style of the severe order of sporting costume.

It being now the commencement of the legitimate hunting season--the first week in November--he availed himself of the privileged period for turning out in everything new.