Beryl and the Croucher

"Beryl and the Croucher" is a short story by the British writer Thomas Burke which was part of his 1916 collection Limehouse Nights. A washed-up boxer, known as "the Croucher" for his distinctive fighting style, having fought his last fight sinks into dissipation and crime in the East End of London. His only hope to recover his former sense of self-worth is a former lover named Beryl.