'He's not a very fine gentleman, is he ?' asked she, knowing that servants were often more difficult to please than their masters.

'Oh, not at all,' replied Sponge; 'not at all--wouldn't suit me if he was--wouldn't suit me if he was.' Just then up waddled Jogglebury, puffing and wheezing like a stranded grampus; the idea having just struck him that he might get off on the plea of not having room for the servant.
'It's very unfortunate (wheeze)--that's to say, it never occurred to me (puff), but I quite forgot (gasp) that we haven't (wheeze) room for your (puff) servant.' 'Ah, you are a good fellow,' replied Mr.Sponge--'a devilish good fellow.

I was just telling Mrs.Jogglebury--wasn't I, Mrs.Jogglebury ?--what an excellent fellow you are, and how kind you'd been about the horses and corn, and all that sort of thing, when it occurred to me that it mightn't be convenient, p'raps to put up a servant; but your wife assures me that it will; so that settles the matter, you know--that settles the matter and I'll now send for the horses forthwith.' Jog was utterly disconcerted, and didn't know which way to turn for an excuse.

Mrs.Jogglebury, though she would rather have been without the establishment, did not like to peril Gustavus James's prospects by appearing displeased; so she smilingly said she would see and do what they could.
Mr.Sponge then procured a messenger to take a note to Hanby House, for Mr.
Leather, and having written it, amused himself for a time with his cigars and his _Mogg_ in his bedroom, and then turned out to see the stable got ready, and pick up any information about the hounds, or anything else, from anybody he could lay hold of.

As luck would have it, he fell in with a groom travelling a horse to hunt with Sir Harry Scattercash's hounds, which, he said, met at Snobston Green, some eight or nine miles off, the next day, and whither Mr.Sponge decided on going.
Mr.Jogglebury's equanimity returning at dinner time, Mr.Sponge was persuasive enough to induce him to accompany him, and it was finally arranged that Leather should go on with the horses, and Jog should drive Sponge to cover in the phe-_a_-ton..