"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."