n-boy's grogshop. (He
went down, and had his front tooth knocked out, but the blow cut Berry's
knuckles a great deal.)

*****

15th round. Chancery. Fibbing. Biggs makes dreadful work with his
left. Break away. Rally. Biggs down. Betting still six to four on the
gown-boy.

*****

20th round. The men both dreadfully punished. Berry somewhat shy of his
adversary's left hand.

*****

29th to 42nd round. The Chipsite all this while breaks away from the
gown-boy's left, and goes down on a knee. Six to four on the gown-boy,
until the fortieth round, when the bets became equal.

*****

102nd and last round. For half-an-hour the men had stood up to each
other, but were almost too weary to strike. The gown-boy's face hardly
to be recognised, swollen and streaming with blood. The Chipsite in
a similar condition, and still more punished about his side from his
enemy's left hand. Berry gives a blow at his adversary's face, and falls
over him as he falls.

The gown-boy can't come up to time. And thus ended the great fight of
Berry and Biggs.

And what, pray, has this horrid description of a battle and parcel of
schoolboys to do with Men's Wives?

What has it to do with Men's Wives?--A great deal more, madam, than you
think for. Only read Chapter II., and you shall hear.

CHAPTER II. THE COMBAT AT VERSAILLES.

I afterwards came to be Berry's fag, and, though beaten by him daily, he
allowed, of course, no one else to lay a hand upon me, and I got no more
thrashing than was good for me. Thus an intimacy grew up between us,
and after he left Slaughter House and went into the dragoons, the honest
fellow did not forget his old friend, but actually made his appearance
one day in the playground in moustaches and a braided coat, and gave
me a gold pencil-case and a couple of sovereigns. I blushed when I took
them, but take them I did; and I think the thing I almost best recollect
in my life, is the sight of Berry getting behind an immense bay
cab-horse, which was held by a correct little groom, and was waiting
near the school in Slaughter House Square. He proposed, too, to have me
to "Long's," where he was lodging for the time; but this invitation
was refused on my behalf by Doctor Buckle, who said, and possibly with
correctness, that I should get little good by spending my holiday with
such a scapegrace.

Once afterwards he came to see me