buttheouterringiscleared：andnowthesecondfightcommences；
itisbetweentwochampionsoflessrenownthantheothers，butisperhapsnottheworseonthataccount。Atallthinboyisfightingintheringwithamansomewhatunderthemiddlesize，withaframeofadamant；that’sagallantboy!he’sayokel，buthecomesfromBrummagem，andhedoescredittohisextraction；buthisadversaryhasaframeofadamant：inwhatastrangelighttheyfight，butwhocanwonder，onlookingatthatfrightfulcloudusurpingnowone-halfofheaven，andatthesunstrugglingwithsulphurousvapour；thefaceoftheboy，whichisturnedtowardsme，lookshorribleinthatlight，butheisabraveboy，hestrikeshisfoeontheforehead，andthereportoftheblowislikethesoundofahammeragainstarock；butthereisarushandaroaroverhead，awildcommotion，thetempestisbeginningtobreakloose；there’swindanddust，acrash，rainandhail；isitpossibletofightamidstsuchacommotion？yes!thefightgoeson；againtheboystrikesthemanfullonthebrow，butitisofnousestrikingthatman，hisframeisofadamant。’Boy，thystrengthisbeginningtogiveway，andthouartbecomingconfused’；themannowgoestowork，amidstrainandhail。’Boy，thouwiltnotholdouttenminuteslongeragainstrain，hail，andtheblowsofsuchanantagonist。’
Andnowthestormwasatitsheight；theblackthunder-cloudhadbrokenintomany，whichassumedthewildestshapesandthestrangestcolours，someofthemunspeakablyglorious；therainpouredinadeluge，andmorethanonewaterspoutwasseenatnogreatdistance：animmenserabbleishurryinginonedirection；amultitudeofmenofallranks，peersandyokels，prize-fightersandJews，andthelastcametoplunder，andarenowplunderingamidstthatwildconfusionofhailandrain，menandhorses，cartsandcarriages。Butallhurryinonedirection，throughmudandmire；
there’satownonlythreemilesdistant，whichissoonreached，andsoonfilled，itwillnotcontainone-thirdofthatmightyrabble；
butthere’sanothertownfartheron-thegoodoldcityisfartheron，onlytwelvemiles；what’sthat!whowillstayhere？onwardtotheoldtown。
Hurry-skurry，amixedmultitudeofmenandhorses，cartsandcarriages，allinthedirectionoftheoldtown；and，inthemidstofallthatmadthrong，atamomentwhentherain-gusheswerecomingdownwithparticularfury，andtheartilleryoftheskywaspealingasIhadneverhearditpealbefore，Ifeltsomeoneseizemebythearm-Iturnedround，andbeheldMr。Petulengro。
’Ican’thearyou，Mr。Petulengro，’saidI；forthethunderdrownedthewordswhichheappearedtobeuttering。
’Dearginni，’IheardMr。Petulengrosay，’itthundreth。Iwasasking，brother，whetheryoubelieveindukkeripens？’
’Idonot，Mr。Petulengro；butthisisstrangeweathertobeaskingmewhetherIbelieveinfortunes。’
’Grondinni，’saidMr。Petulengro，’ithaileth。Ibelieveindukkeripens，brother。’
’Andwhohasmoreright，’saidI；’seeingthatyoulivebythem？
Butthistempestistrulyhorrible。’
’Dearginni，grondinnitavillaminni!Itthundreth，ithaileth，andalsoflameth，’saidMr。Petulengro。’Lookupthere，brother!’
Ilookedup。ConnectedwiththistempesttherewasonefeaturetowhichIhavealreadyalluded-thewonderfulcoloursoftheclouds。
Somewereofvividgreen；othersofthebrightestorange；othersasblackaspitch。Thegypsy’sfingerwaspointedtoaparticularpartofthesky。
’Whatdoyouseethere，brother？’
’Astrangekindofcloud。’
’Whatdoesitlooklike，brother？’
’Somethinglikeastreamofblood。’
’Thatcloudforeshowethabloodydukkeripen。’
’Abloodyfortune!’saidI。’Andwhommayitbetide？’
’Whoknows!’saidthegypsy。
Downtheway，dashingandsplashing，andscatteringman，horse，andcarttotheleftandright，cameanopenbarouche，drawnbyfoursmokingsteeds，withpostilionsinscarletjacketsandleatherskull-caps。Twoformswereconspicuousinit；thatofthesuccessfulbruiser，andofhisfriendandbacker，thesportinggentlemanofmyacquaintance。
’His!’saidthegypsy，pointingtothelatter，whosesternfeaturesworeasmileoftriumph，as，probablyrecognisingmeinthecrowd，henoddedinthedirectionofwhereIstood，asthebarouchehurriedby。
Therewentthebarouche，dashingthroughtherain-gushes，andinitonewhoseboastitwasthathewasequalto’eitherfortune。’Manyhaveheardofthatman-manymaybedesirousofknowingyetmoreofhim。Ihavenothingtodowiththatman’safterlife-hefulfilledhisdukkeripen。’Abad，violentman!’Softly，friend；
whenthouwouldstspeakharshlyofthedead，rememberthatthouhastnotyetfulfilledthyowndukkeripen!
CHAPTERXXVII
Myfather-Prematuredecay-Theeasy-chair-Afewquestions-Soyoutoldme-Adifficultlanguage-TheycanitHaik-Misusedopportunities-Saul-Wantofcandour-Don’tweep-Heavenforgiveme-DatedfromParis-Iwishhewerehere-Afather’sreminiscences-Farewelltovanities。
MYfather，asIhavealreadyinformedthereader，hadbeenendowedbynaturewithgreatcorporealstrength；indeed，Ihavebeenassuredthat，attheperiodofhisprime，hisfigurehaddenotedthepossessionofalmostHerculeanpowers。Thestrongestforms，however，donotalwaysendurethelongest，theveryexcessofthenobleandgenerousjuiceswhichtheycontainbeingthecauseoftheirprematuredecay。But，bethatasitmay，thehealthofmyfather，somefewyearsafterhisretirementfromtheservicetothequietofdomesticlife，underwentaconsiderablechange；hisconstitutionappearedtobebreakingup；andhewassubjecttosevereattacksfromvariousdisorders，withwhich，tillthen，hehadbeenutterlyunacquainted。Hewas，however，wonttorally，moreorless，afterhisillnesses，andmightstilloccasionallybeseentakinghiswalk，withhiscaneinhishand，andaccompaniedbyhisdog，whosympathisedentirelywithhim，piningashepined，improvingasheimproved，andneverleavingthehousesaveinhiscompany；andinthismannermatterswentonforaconsiderabletime，noverygreatapprehensionwithrespecttomyfather’sstatebeingraisedeitherinmymother’sbreastormyown。But，aboutsixmonthsaftertheperiodatwhichIhavearrivedinmylastchapter，itcametopassthatmyfatherexperiencedasevererattackthanonanypreviousoccasion。
Hehadthebestmedicaladvice；butitwaseasytosee，fromthelooksofhisdoctors，thattheyentertainedbutslighthopesofhisrecovery。Hissufferingsweregreat，yetheinvariablyborethemwithunshakenfortitude。Therewasonethingremarkableconnectedwithhisillness；notwithstandingitsseverity，itneverconfinedhimtohisbed。Hewaswonttositinhislittleparlour，inhiseasy-chair，dressedinafadedregimentalcoat，hisdogathisfeet，whowouldoccasionallylifthisheadfromthehearth-rugonwhichhelay，andlookhismasterwistfullyintheface。Andthusmyfatherspentthegreaterpartofhistime，sometimesinprayer，sometimesinmeditation，andsometimesinreadingtheScriptures。
Ifrequentlysatwithhim，though，asIentertainedagreataweformyfather，Iusedtofeelratherillatease，when，assometimeshappened，Ifoundmyselfalonewithhim。
’Iwishtoaskyouafewquestions，’saidhetomeoneday，aftermymotherhadlefttheroom。
’Iwillansweranythingyoumaypleasetoaskme，mydearfather。’
’Whathaveyoubeenaboutlately？’
’Ihavebeenoccupiedasusual，attendingattheofficeattheappointedhours。’
’Andwhatdoyouthere？’
’WhateverIamordered。’
’Andnothingelse？’
’Ohyes!sometimesIreadabook。’
’Connectedwithyourprofession？’
’Notalways；IhavebeenlatelyreadingArmenian-’
’What’sthat？’
’ThelanguageofapeoplewhosecountryisaregionontheothersideofAsiaMinor。’
’Well!’
’Aregionaboundingwithmountains。’
’Well!’
’AmongstwhichisMountArarat。’
’Well!’
’Uponwhich，astheBibleinformsus，thearkrested。’
’Well!’
’Itisthelanguageofthepeopleofthoseregions-’
’Soyoutoldme。’
’AndIhavebeenreadingtheBibleintheirlanguage。’
’Well!’
’Orrather，Ishouldsay，intheancientlanguageofthesepeople；
fromwhichIamtoldthemodemArmeniandiffersconsiderably。’
’Well!’
’AsmuchastheItalianfromtheLatin。’