With this popular sport he combined the diversion of fortune-hunting, though we are concerned to say that his success, up to the period of our introduction, had not been commensurate with his deserts.

Let us, however, hope that brighter days are about to dawn upon him.
Having now introduced our hero to our male and female friends, under his interesting pursuits of fox and fortune-hunter, it becomes us to say a few words as to his qualifications for carrying them on.
Mr.Sponge was a good-looking, rather vulgar-looking man.

At a distance--say ten yards--his height, figure, and carriage gave him somewhat of a commanding appearance, but this was rather marred by a jerky, twitchy, uneasy sort of air, that too plainly showed he was not the natural, or what the lower orders call the _real_ gentleman.

Not that Sponge was shy.

Far from it.