question whether half so many
people could be brought together if you were to fight with me as the
person I have in view, or whether there would be half such opportunities
for betting, for I am a man, do you see; the person I wants you to fight
with is not a man, but the young woman you keeps company with.'

'The young woman I keep company with,' said I; 'pray what do you mean?'

'We will go into the bar, and have something,' said the landlord, getting
up. 'My niece is out, and there is no one in the house, so we can talk
the matter over quietly.' Thereupon I followed him into the bar, where,
having drawn me a jug of ale, helped himself as usual to a glass of
sherry, and lighted a cigar, he proceeded to explain himself further.
'What I wants is to get up a fight between a man and a woman; there never
has yet been such a thing in the ring, and the mere noise of the matter
would bring thousands of people together, quite enough to drink out, for
the thing should be close to my house, all the brewer's stock of liquids,
both good and bad.' 'But,' said I, 'you were the other day boasting of
the respectability of your house; do you think that a fight between a man
and a woman close to your establishment would add to its respectability?'
'Confound the respectability of my house,' said the landlord; 'will the
respectability of my house pay the brewer, or keep the roof over my head?
No, no! when respectability won't keep a man, do you see, the best thing
is to let it go and wander. Only let me have my own way, and both the
brewer, myself, and everyone of us, will be satisfied. And then the
betting--what a deal we may make by the betting--and that we shall have
all to ourselves, you, I, and the young woman; the brewer will have no
hand in that. I can manage to raise ten pounds, and if by flashing that
about I don't manage to make a hundred, call me horse.' 'But suppose,'
said I, 'the party should lose, on whom you sport your money, even as the
birds did?' 'We must first make all right,' said the landlord, 'as I
told you before; the birds were irrational beings, and therefore couldn't
come to an understanding with the others, as you and the young woman can.
The birds fought fair; but I intend that you and the young woman should
fight cross.' 'What do you mean by cross?' said I. 'Come, come,' said
the landlord, 'don't attempt to gammon me; you in the ring, and pretend
not to know what fighting cross is! That won't do, my