第45章

say？-whynot？-agaming-house，whereIsawpeopleplaying，andwhereIsawFrancisArdryplayandlosefiveguineas，andwhereI

lostnothing，becauseIdidnotplay，thoughIfeltsomewhatinclined；foramanwithawhitehatandasparklingeyeheldupaboxwhichcontainedsomethingwhichrattled，andaskedmetoflingthebones。’Thereisnothinglikeflingingthebones!’saidhe，andthenIthoughtIshouldliketoknowwhatkindofthingflingingtheboneswas；I，however，restrainedmyself。’Thereisnothinglikeflingingthebones!’shoutedtheman，asmyfriendandmyselflefttheroom。

LonglifeandprosperitytoFrancisArdry!butforhimIshouldnothaveobtainedknowledgewhichIdidofthestrangeandeccentricplacesofLondon。Someoftheplacestowhichhetookmewereverystrangeplacesindeed；but，howeverstrangetheplaceswere，I

observedthattheinhabitantsthoughttherewerenoplacesliketheirseveralplaces，andnooccupationsliketheirseveraloccupations；andamongotherstrangeplacestowhichFrancisArdryconductedmewasaplacenotfarfromtheabbeychurchofWestminster。

Beforeweenteredthisplaceourearsweregreetedbyaconfusedhubbubofhumanvoices，squealingofrats，barkingofdogs，andthecriesofvariousotheranimals。Herewebeheldakindofcock-pit，aroundwhichagreatmanypeople，seemingofallranks，butchieflyofthelower，weregathered，andinitwesawadogdestroyagreatmanyratsinaverysmallperiod；andwhenthedoghaddestroyedtherats，wesawafightbetweenadogandabear，thenafightbetweentwodogs，then……

Afterthediversionsofthedaywereover，myfriendintroducedmetothegeniusoftheplace，asmallmanofaboutfivefeethigh，withaverysharpcountenance，anddressedinabrownjockeycoatandtopboots。’Joey，’saidhe，’thisisafriendofmine。’Joeynoddedtomewithapatronisingair。’Gladtoseeyou，sir!-wantadog？’

’No，’saidI。

’Youhavegotone，then-wanttomatchhim？’

’Wehaveadogathome，’saidI，’inthecountry；butIcan’tsayI

shouldliketomatchhim。Indeed，Idonotlikedog-fighting。’

’Notlikedog-fighting!’saidtheman，staring。

’Thetruthis，Joe，thatheisjustcometotown。’

’SoIshouldthink；helooksrathergreen-notlikedog-fighting!’

’Nothinglikeit，isthere，Joey？’

’Ishouldthinknot；whatislikeit？Atimewillcome，andthatspeedily，whenfolkswillgiveupeverythingelse，andfollowdog-

fighting。’

’Doyouthinkso？’saidI。

’Thinkso？Letmeaskwhatthereisthatamanwouldn’tgiveupforit？’

’Why，’saidI，modestly，’there’sreligion。’

’Religion!Howyoutalk。Why，there’smyselfbredandbornanIndependent，andintendedtobeapreacher，didn’tIgiveupreligionfordog-fighting？Religion，indeed!Ifitwerenotfortherascallylaw，mypitwouldfillbetteronSundaysthananyothertime。Whowouldgotochurchwhentheycouldcometomypit？

Religion!why，theparsonsthemselvescometomypit；andIhavenowaletterinmypocketfromoneofthem，askingmetosendhimadog。’

’Well，then，politics，’saidI。

’Politics!Why，thegemmenintheHousewouldleavePitthimself，ifhewerealive，tocometomypit。Therewerethreeofthebestofthemhereto-night，allgreathorators-Getonwithyou，whatcomesnex