第36章

buttheouterringiscleared：andnowthesecondfightcommences；

itisbetweentwochampionsoflessrenownthantheothers，butisperhapsnottheworseonthataccount。Atallthinboyisfightingintheringwithamansomewhatunderthemiddlesize，withaframeofadamant；that’sagallantboy!he’sayokel，buthecomesfromBrummagem，andhedoescredittohisextraction；buthisadversaryhasaframeofadamant：inwhatastrangelighttheyfight，butwhocanwonder，onlookingatthatfrightfulcloudusurpingnowone-halfofheaven，andatthesunstrugglingwithsulphurousvapour；thefaceoftheboy，whichisturnedtowardsme，lookshorribleinthatlight，butheisabraveboy，hestrikeshisfoeontheforehead，andthereportoftheblowislikethesoundofahammeragainstarock；butthereisarushandaroaroverhead，awildcommotion，thetempestisbeginningtobreakloose；there’swindanddust，acrash，rainandhail；isitpossibletofightamidstsuchacommotion？yes!thefightgoeson；againtheboystrikesthemanfullonthebrow，butitisofnousestrikingthatman，hisframeisofadamant。’Boy，thystrengthisbeginningtogiveway，andthouartbecomingconfused’；themannowgoestowork，amidstrainandhail。’Boy，thouwiltnotholdouttenminuteslongeragainstrain，hail，andtheblowsofsuchanantagonist。’

Andnowthestormwasatitsheight；theblackthunder-cloudhadbrokenintomany，whichassumedthewildestshapesandthestrangestcolours，someofthemunspeakablyglorious；therainpouredinadeluge，andmorethanonewaterspoutwasseenatnogreatdistance：animmenserabbleishurryinginonedirection；amultitudeofmenofallranks，peersandyokels，prize-fightersandJews，andthelastcametoplunder，andarenowplunderingamidstthatwildconfusionofhailandrain，menandhorses，cartsandcarriages。Butallhurryinonedirection，throughmudandmire；

there’satownonlythreemilesdistant，whichissoonreached，andsoonfilled，itwillnotcontainone-thirdofthatmightyrabble；

butthere’sanothertownfartheron-thegoodoldcityisfartheron，onlytwelvemiles；what’sthat!whowillstayhere？onwardtotheoldtown。

Hurry-skurry，amixedmultitudeofmenandhorses，cartsandcarriages，allinthedirectionoftheoldtown；and，inthemidstofallthatmadthrong，atamomentwhentherain-gusheswerecomingdownwithparticularfury，andtheartilleryoftheskywaspealingasIhadneverhearditpealbefore，Ifeltsomeoneseizemebythearm-Iturnedround，andbeheldMr。Petulengro。

’Ican’thearyou，Mr。Petulengro，’saidI；forthethunderdrownedthewordswhichheappearedtobeuttering。

’Dearginni，’IheardMr。Petulengrosay，’itthundreth。Iwasasking，brother，whetheryoubelieveindukkeripens？’

’Idonot，M