a good deal to be desired.
Now that that important thing is settled, suppose you come and lunch
with me in Covent Garden? I don't belong to a club yet, though I have
got my name down at a couple of them, but as far as I can see they are
slow sort of places unless you know a lot of people. The coffee houses
are much more amusing; you see people of all sorts there--fellows like
myself, who have no clubs to go to; country gentlemen up for a week;
a few writers, who, by the way, are not the best customers of these
places; men whom nobody knows, and men whom everybody knows. Of course,
the best time to see them is of an evening."

"Yes, I have generally been in of an evening when I have been up in
towns Dick, and I have always been amused. However, I am quite ready to
lunch there now, for I breakfasted early."

"I have to make some calls this afternoon, Mark. At seven this evening
I will look in at your lodgings, and you shall go along with me to
Ingleston's in St. Giles'. It is one of the headquarters of the fancy,
and Jack Needham, who taught me, is safe to be there, and he will tell
me who he thinks is best for you to begin with."

Accordingly, after taking luncheon, they separated, and Mark went to his
inn.

Ingleston's was at that time regarded as the headquarters of the fancy.
At the back of the house was a large room, with benches rising behind
each other to accommodate the spectators. Here, on the evenings when it
was known that leading men would put on the gloves, peers of the realm
would sit side by side with sporting butchers, and men of fashion back
their opinion on a coming prize fight with ex-pugilists and publicans. A
number of men were assembled in the bar; among these was Jack Needham.

"Good evening, Mr. Chetwynd," the man said as they came up to him. "It's
going to be a good night. Tring and Bob Pratt are going to have a round
or two together, and Gibbons will put on the gloves with anyone who
likes to take him on."

"This gentleman is Mr. Thorndyke, a squire, Jack, whose place is near
mine at Reigate. He has come up to town for a few months, and wants to
learn how to use his mauleys. I told him that you would advise him as to
who would be the best man for him to go to."

"I can tell you better when I have seen him strip, sir. There is no one
in the big room at present. It won't be open for half an hour. Ingleston
keeps it shut as long as he can so as to give everyone a fair chance of
a good place.