'Want a light!' hiccuped Jack, who had now got a glow-worm end to his. 'Thanks,' said Sponge, availing himself of the friendly overture. Our friends now whiffed and puffed away together--whiffing and puffing where whiffing and puffing had never been known before. The brandy began to disappear pretty quickly; it was better than the wine. 'That's a n--n--nice--ish horse of yours,' stammered Jack, as he mixed himself a second tumbler. 'Which?' asked Sponge. 'The bur--bur--brown,' spluttered Jack. 'He is _that_,' replied Sponge; 'best horse in this country by far.' 'The che--che--chest--nut's not a ba--ba--bad un. I dare say,' observed Jack. 'No, he's not,' replied Sponge; 'a deuced good un.' 'I know a man who's rayther s--s--s--sweet on the b--b--br--brown,' observed Jack, squinting frightfully. Sponge sat silent for a few seconds, pretending to be wrapt up in his 'sublime tobacco.' 'Is he a buyer, or just a jawer?' he asked at last. 'Oh, a _buyer_,' replied Jack. 'I'll _sell_,' said Sponge, with a strong emphasis on the sell. 'How much?' asked Jack, sobering with the excitement. 'Which?' asked Sponge. 'The brown,' rejoined Jack. 'Three hundred,' said Sponge; adding, 'I gave two for him.' 'Indeed!' said Jack. A long pause then ensued. Jack thinking whether he should put the question boldly as to what Sponge would give him for effecting a sale, or should beat about the bush a little. At last he thought it would be most prudent to beat about the bush, and see if Sponge would make an offer. 'Well,' said Jack, 'I'll s--s--s--see what I can do.' 'That's a good fellow,' said Sponge; adding, 'I'll remember you if you do.' 'I dare say I can s--s--s--sell them both, for that matter,' observed Jack, encouraged by the promise. 'Well,' replied Sponge, 'I'll take the same for the chestnut; there isn't the toss-up of a halfpenny for choice between them.' 'Well,' said Jack,' we'll s--s--s--see them next week.' 'Just so,' said Sponge. 'You r--r--ride well up to the h--h--hounds,' continued Jack; 'and let his lordship s--s--see w--w--what they can do.' 'I will,' said Sponge, wishing he was at work. 'Never mind his rowing,' observed Jack; 'he c--c--can't help it.' 'Not I,' replied Sponge, puffing away at his cigar. When men once begin to drink brandy-and-water (after wine) there's an end of all note of time. Our friends--for we 'may now call them so,' sat sip, sip, sipping--mix, mix, mixing; now strengthening, now weakening, now warming, now flavouring, till they had not only finished the hot water but a large jug of cold, that graced the centre of the table between two frosted tumblers, and had nearly got through the brandy too. 'May as well fi--fi--fin--nish the bottle,' observed Jack, holding it up to the candle. 'Just a thi--thi--thim--bleful apiece,' added he, helping himself to about three-quarters of what there was.