Cashel Byron's Profession

"I believe I have heard the name."

"Just so, sir. Ned Skene picked up this Cashel Byron in the streets

of Melbourne, where he was a common sailor-boy, and trained him for

the ring. You may have seen his name in the papers, sir. The

sporting ones are full of him; and he was mentioned in the Times a

month ago."

"I never read articles on such subjects. I have hardly time to

glance through the ones that concern me."

"That's the way it is with everybody, sir. Miss Carew never thinks

of reading the sporting intelligence in the papers; and so he passes

himself off on her for her equal. He's well known for his wish to be

thought a gentleman, sir, I assure you."

"I have noticed his manner as being odd, certainly."

"Odd, sir! Why, a child might see through him; for he has not the

sense to keep his own secret. Last Friday he was in the library, and

he got looking at the new biographical dictionary that Miss Carew

contributed the article on Spinoza to. And what do you think he

said, sir? 'This is a blessed book,' he says. 'Here's ten pages

about Napoleon Bonaparte, and not one about Jack Randall; as if one

fighting man wasn't as good as another!' I knew by the way the

mistress took up that saying, and drew him out, so to speak, on the

subject, that she didn't know who she had in her house; and then I

determined to tell you, sir. I hope you won't think that I come here

behind his back out of malice against him. All I want is fair play.

If I passed myself off on Miss Carew as a gentleman, I should

deserve to be exposed as a cheat; and when he tries to take

advantages that don't belong to him, I think I have a right to

expose him."

"Quite right, quite right," said Lucian, who cared nothing for

Bashville's motives. "I suppose this Byron is a dangerous man to

have any personal unpleasantness with."

"He knows his business, sir. I am a better judge of wrestling than

half of these London professionals; but I never saw the man that

could put a hug on him. Simple as he is, sir, he has a genius for

fighting, and has beaten men of all sizes, weights, and colors.

There's a new man from the black country, named Paradise, who says

he'll beat him; but I won't believe it till I see it."