s, while I looked
helplessly at him. I was secretly afraid of him, but I felt convinced that
his light head of hair could have had no business in the pit of my
stomach. Therefore I followed him without a word, to a retired nook of the
garden. On his asking me if I was satisfied with the ground, and on my
replying "Yes," he fetched a bottle of water and a sponge dipped in
vinegar, and then fell to pulling off, not only his jacket and waistcoat,
but his shirt too, in a manner at once light-hearted, business-like, and
bloodthirsty.

My heart failed me when I saw him squaring at me with every demonstration
of mechanical nicety, and eyeing my anatomy as if he were minutely
choosing his bone. I never have been so surprised in my life as I was when
I let out the first blow and saw him lying on his back, with a bloody nose
and his face exceedingly foreshortened. But he was on his feet directly,
and after sponging himself began squaring again. The second greatest
surprise I have ever had in my life was seeing him on his back again,
looking up at me out of a black eye. His spirit inspired me with great
respect. He was always knocked down, but he would be up again in a moment,
sponging himself or drinking out of the water bottle, and then came at me
with an air and a show that made me believe he really was going to do for
me at last. He got heavily bruised, for I am sorry to record that the more
I hit him, the harder I hit him, but he came up again, and again, and
again, until at last he got a bad fall with the back of his head against
the wall. Even after that he got up and turned round and round confusedly
a few times, not knowing where I was, but finally went on his knees to his
sponge and threw it up, panting out, "That means you have won!"

He seemed so brave and innocent, that although I had not proposed the
contest, I felt but a gloomy satisfaction in my victory. Indeed, I go so
far as to hope that I regarded myself as a species of savage young wolf or
other wild beast. However, I got dressed, and I said, "Can I help you?"
and he said, "No, thankee," and I said, "Good afternoon," and he said,
"Same to you!"

When I got into the courtyard I found Estella waiting with the keys to let
me out. What with the visitors, and what with the cards, and what with the
fight, my stay had lasted so long that when I neared home the light on the
spit of sand off the point on the marshes was gleaming against a black
night-sky, and Joe's fu