Part 25 (2/2)

Then, after many farewells, and callings back, he pursued his way towards the Strand, finding to his disgust that it was nearly ten o'clock.

He, nevertheless, held on his way undiscouraged, and turning by degrees into narrower and narrower streets, came at last on one quieter than the others, which ended abruptly at the river.

It was a quiet street, save at one point, and that was where a blaze of gas (then recently introduced, and a great object of curiosity to the Major) was thrown across the street, from the broad ornamented windows of a flash public-house. Here there was noise enough. Two men fighting, and three or four more encouraging, while a half-drunken woman tried to separate them. From the inside, too, came a noise of singing, quarrelling, and swearing, such as made the Major cross the road, and take his way on the darker side of the street.

But when he got opposite the aforesaid public-house, he saw that it was called the ”Nag's Head,” and that it was kept by one J. Trotter. ”What an awful place to take that girl to!” said the Major. ”But there may be some private entrance, and a quiet part of the house set by for a hotel.” Nevertheless, having looked well about him, he could see nothing of the sort, and perceived that he must storm the bar.

But he stood irresolute for a moment. It looked such a very low place, clean and handsome enough, but still the company about the door looked so very disreputable. ”J. Trotter!” he reflected. ”Why, that must be Trotter the fighting-man. I hope it may be; he will remember me.”

So he crossed. When he came within the sphere of the gas lamps, those who were a.s.sisting at the fight grew silent, and gazed upon him with open eyes. As he reached the door one of them remarked, with a little flourish of oaths as a margin or garland round his remark, that ”of all the swells he'd ever seen, that 'un was the biggest, at all events.”

Similarly, when they in the bar saw that giant form, the blue coat and bra.s.s b.u.t.tons, and, above all, the moustache (sure sign of a military man in those days), conversation ceased, and the Major then and there became the event of the evening. He looked round as he came in, and, through a door leading inwards, he saw George Hawker himself, standing talking to a man with a dog under each arm.

The Major was not deceived as to the ident.i.ty of J. Trotter. J.

Trotter, the hero of a hundred fights, stood himself behind his own bar, a spectacle for the G.o.ds. A chest like a bull, a red neck, straight up and down with the back of his head, and a fist like a seal's flipper, proclaimed him the prize-fighter; and his bright grey eye, and ugly laughing face, proclaimed him the merry, good-humoured varlet that he was.

What a wild state of amazement he was in when he realized the fact that Major Buckley of the --th was actually towering aloft under the chandelier, and looking round for some one to address! With what elephantine politeness and respect did he show the Major into a private parlour, sweeping off at one round nearly a dozen pint-pots that covered the table, and then, shutting the door, stand bowing and smiling before his old pupil!

”And so you are gone into business, John, are you?” said the Major.

”I'm glad to see it. I hope you are doing as well as you deserve.”

”Much better than that,” said the prize-fighter. ”Much better than THAT, sir, I a.s.sure you.”

”Well, I'm going to get you to do something for me,” said the Major.

”Do you know, John, that you are terribly fat?”

”The business allus does make flesh, sir. More especially to coves as has trained much.”

”Yes, yes, John, I am going from the point. There is a young man of the name of Hawker here?”

The prize-fighter remained silent, but a grin gathered on his face. ”I never contradicts a gentleman,” he said. ”And if you say he's here, why, in course, he is here. But I don't say he's here; you mind that, sir.”

”My good fellow, I saw him as I came in,” said the Major.

”Oh, indeed,” said the other; ”then that absolves me from any responsibility. He told me to deny him to anybody but one, and you ain't she. He spends a deal of money with me, sir; so, in course, I don't want to offend him. By-the-bye, sir, excuse me a moment.”

The Major saw that he had got hold of the right man, and waited willingly. The fighting-man went to the door, and called out, ”My dear.” A tall, goodlooking woman came to the bar, who made a low curtsey on being presented to the Major. ”My dear,” repeated Trotter, ”the south side.” ”The particular, I suppose,” she said. ”In course,”

said he. So she soon appeared with a bottle of Madeira, which was of such quality that the Major, having tasted it, winked at the prize-fighter, and the latter laughed, and rubbed his hands.

”Now,” said the Major, ”do you mind telling me whether this Hawker is here alone?”

”He don't live here. He only comes here of a day, and sometimes stays till late. This evening a pretty young lady--yes, a LADY--come and inquired for him in my bar, and I was struck all of a heap to see such a creature in such a place, all frightened out of her wits. So I showed her through in a minute, and up stairs to where my wife sits, and she waited there till he come in. And she hadn't been gone ten minutes when you come.”

The Major swore aloud, without equivocation or disguise. ”Ah,” he said, ”if I had not met Barton! Pray, Trotter, have you any idea where Hawker lives?”

”Not the least in the world, further than it's somewhere Hampstead way.

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