about
that I owed money to the brewer, they presently left off all that kind of
thing; and now, during the last three days, since the tale of my
misfortune with the cocks has got wind, almost everybody has left off
coming to the house, and the few who does, merely comes to insult and
flout me. It was only last night that fellow, Hunter, called me an old
fool in my own kitchen here. He wouldn't have called me a fool a
fortnight ago; 'twas I called him fool then, and last night he called me
old fool; what do you think of that? the man that beat Tom of Hopton, to
be called, not only a fool, but an old fool; and I hadn't heart, with one
blow of this here fist into his face, to send his head ringing against
the wall; for when a man's pocket is low, do you see, his heart a'n't
much higher; but it is of no use talking, something must be done. I was
thinking of you just as you came in, for you are just the person that can
help me."

"If you mean," said I, "to ask me to lend you the money which you want,
it will be to no purpose, as I have very little of my own, just enough
for my own occasions; it is true, if you desired it, I would be your
intercessor with the person to whom you owe the money, though I should
hardly imagine that anything I could say--" "You are right there," said
the landlord; "much the brewer would care for anything you could say on
my behalf--your going would be the very way to do me up entirely. A
pretty opinion he would have of the state of my affairs if I were to send
him such a 'cessor as you, and as for your lending me money, don't think
I was ever fool enough to suppose either that you had any, or if you had
that you would be fool enough to lend me any. No, no, the coves of the
ring knows better; I have been in the ring myself, and knows what
fighting a cove is, and though I was fool enough to back those birds, I
was never quite fool enough to lend anybody money. What I am about to
propose is something very different from going to my landlord, or lending
any capital; something which, though it will put money into my pocket,
will likewise put something handsome into your own. I want to get up a
fight in this here neighbourhood, which would be sure to bring plenty of
people to my house, for a week before and after it takes place, and as
people can't come without drinking, I think I could, during one
fortnight, get off for the brewer all the sour and unsaleable liquids he
now has, which people wou