第99章

’Thenyouwon’tfight？’saidI。

’NotforthePope，’saidtheRadical；’I’llseethePope-’

’Dearme!’saidI，’notfightforthePope，whosereligionyouwouldturnto，ifyouwereinclinedforany。Iseehowitis，youarenotfondoffighting；butI’llgiveyouanotherchance-youwereabusingtheChurchofEnglandjustnow：I’llfightforit-

willyoufightagainstit？’

’Come，Hunter，’saidtheother，’getup，andfightagainsttheChurchofEngland。’

’IhavenoparticularquarrelagainsttheChurchofEngland，’saidthemaninthesnuff-colouredcoat，’myquarreliswiththearistocracy。IfIsaidanythingagainsttheChurch，itwasmerelyforabitofcorollary，asMasterWilliamCobbettwouldsay；thequarrelwiththeChurchbelongstothisfellowinblack，solethimcarryiton。However，’hecontinuedsuddenly，’Iwon’tslinkfromthemattereither；itshallneverbesaidbythefinefellowsonthequayofNewYorkthatIwouldn’tfightagainsttheChurchofEngland。Sodownwiththebeggarlyaristocracy，theChurch，andthePopetothebottomofthepitofEldon，andmaythePopefallfirst，andtheothersuponhim。’

Thereupon，dashinghishatonthetable，heplacedhimselfinanattitudeofoffenceandrushedforward。Hewas，asIhavesaidbefore，apowerfulfellow，andmighthaveprovedadangerousantagonist，moreespeciallytomyself，who，aftermyrecentencounterwiththeFlamingTinman，andmywrestlingswiththeevilone，wasinanythingbutfightingorder。Anycollision，however，waspreventedbythelandlord，who，suddenlyappearing，thrusthimselfbetweenus。’Thereshallbenofightinghere，’saidhe；

’nooneshallfightinthishouse，exceptitbewithmyself；soifyoutwohaveanythingtosaytoeachother，youhadbettergointothefieldbehindthehouse。But，youfool，’saidhe，pushingHunterviolentlyonthebreast，’doyouknowwhomyouaregoingtotacklewith？-thisistheyoungchapthatbeatBlazingBosville，onlyaslateasyesterday，inMumpers’Dingle。GreyMolltoldmeallaboutitlastnight，whenshecameforsomebrandyforherhusband，who，shesaid，hadbeenhalfkilled；andshedescribedtheyoungmantomesocloselythatIknewhimatonce，thatis，assoonasIsawhowhislefthandwasbruised，forshetoldmehewasaleft-handhitter。Aren’titalltrue，youngman？Aren’tyouhethatbeatFlamingBosville，inMumpers’Dingle？’’IneverbeatFlamingBosville，’saidI，’hebeathimself。Hadhenotstruckhishandagainstatree，Ishouldn’tbehereatthepresentmoment。’

’Hear，hear!’saidthelandlord，’nowthat’sjustasitshouldbe；

Ilikeamodestman，for，astheparsonsays，nothingsitsbetteruponayoungmanthanmodesty。Iremember，whenIwasyoung，fightingwithTomofHopton，thebestmanthateverpulledoffcoatinEngland。Iremember，too，thatIwonthebattle；forIhappenedtohitTomofHoptoninthemark，ashewascomingin，sothathelosthiswind，andfallingsquelchontheground，doyesee，helostthebattle，thoughIamfreetoconfessthathewasabettermanthanmyself；indeed，thebestmanthateverfoughtinEngland；

yetstill，Iwonthebattle，aseverycustomerofmine，andeverybodywithintwelvemilesround，hasheardoverandoveragain。

Now，Mr。Hunter，Ihaveonethingtosay，ifyouchoosetogointothefieldbehindthehouse，andfighttheyoungman，youcan。I’llbackhimfortenpounds；butnofightinginmykitchen-becausewhy？Ikeepsadecentkindofanestablishment。’

’Ihavenowishtofighttheyoungman，’saidHunter；’moreespeciallyashehasnothingtosayforthearistocracy。Ifhechosetofightforthem，indeed-buthewon’t，Ik