"
"Ha--your highwayman cove robbed you, of course!"
"He did, Uncle, but had the extraordinary magnanimity to restore all
he'd taken. My money, sir, went in the--the purchase of a gipsy
maiden--"
"Hey--gipsy--a woman--d'ye mean--you--"
"A young gipsy girl, Uncle."
"Good God!" he ejaculated faintly and, sinking upon the shaft of the
empty cart behind him, he fanned himself feebly with his hat.
"Peregrine," said he, shaking grave head at me, "your aunt Julia is
right--a wonderful woman! Poetry is your line, after all--books--romances,
lad--imagination--"
"You think I am romancing, sir?"
"Aye, though I call it 'gammoning.'"
"Sir, you affront me!"
"No offence, Perry," said he kindly. "You just can't help it--comes
natural to you--like a gamecock fights. What other marvels have you
seen?"
"A tinker, Uncle."
"Hum! Anything else?"
"I saw Jessamy Todd fight the big fellow at the 'Ring o' Bells' this
morning and--"
"What?" cried my uncle, on his feet in a moment. "You saw Jessamy
fight? Oh, begad, Perry--why couldn't you say so before?"
"You believe this, then, sir?"
"I do. Tell me all about it. I've heard rumours--they say it was a
clean knockout--"
"The big man was indeed rendered quite unconscious, Uncle--"
"And you saw? Out with it, Perry lad!"
"But sir," I enquired, a little disdainfully, "why all this stir about
a vulgar brawl?"
"Vulgar brawl, begad--"
"Well, a brutal bout at fisticuffs with a ruffian--"
"Heavens and earth, boy," exclaimed my uncle, in growing indignation,
"don't ye know you were privileged to see one of the very greatest
fighters of any time, school or--oh, b'gad--"
"You mean Jessamy Todd, sir?"
"Of course I do.
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