'Well, but it'll not take you long to get there,' replied Mrs. Jogglebury; 'will it, Mr. Sponge?' continued she, again appealing to our friend.
'Sure I don't know,' replied Sponge, eating away; 'Mr. Crowdey finds conveyance—I only find company.'
Mrs. Jogglebury Crowdey then prepared to pour her husband out another cup of tea, and the musical snuff-box, being now left to itself, went off of its own accord with:
'Diddle, diddle, doubt,
My candle's out.
My 'ittle dame's not at 'ome—
So saddle my hog, and bridle my dog'
And bring my 'ittle dame 'ome.'
A poem that in the original programme was intended to come in after 'Obin and Ichard,' which was to be the chef-d'œuvre.
Mrs. Jog was delighted, and found herself pouring the tea into the sugar-basin instead of into Jog's cup.
Mr. Sponge, too, applauded. 'Well, that was very clever,' said he, filling his mouth with cold ham.
'"Saddle my dog, and bridle my hog"—I'll trouble you for another cup of tea,' addressing Mrs. Crowdey.
'No, not "saddle my dog," sil-l-e-y man!' drawled the child, making a pet lip: '"saddle my hog."'
'Oh! "saddle my hog," was it?' replied Mr. Sponge, with apparent surprise; 'I thought it was "saddle my dog." I'll trouble you for the sugar, Mrs. Jogglebury'; adding, 'you have devilish good cream here; how many cows have you?'