'Well, but, my dear, I dare say you asked him,' observed Mrs.Jawleyford.
Jawleyford was silent, the scene in the billiard-room recurring to his mind.
'I've often told you, my dear,' continued Mrs.Jawleyford, kindly, 'that you shouldn't be so free with your invitations if you don't want people to come; things are very different now to what they were in the old coaching and posting days, when it took a day and a night and half the next day to get here, and I don't know how much money besides.

You might then invite people with safety, but it is very different now, when they have nothing to do but put themselves into the express train and whisk down in a few hours.' 'Well, but, confound him, I didn't ask his horses,' exclaimed Jawleyford; 'nor will I have them either,' continued he, with a jerk of the head, as he got up and rang the bell, as though determined to put a stop to that at all events.
'Samuel,' said he, to the dirty page of a boy who answered the summons, 'tell John Watson to go down to the Railway Tavern directly, and desire them to get a three-stalled stable ready for a gentleman's horses that are coming to-day--a gentleman of the name of Sponge,' added he, lest any one else should chance to come and usurp them--'and tell John to meet the express train, and tell the gentleman's groom where it is.'.