nd entering his service. Miss Wilfer has never
known this until now. I mention it now, only as a corroboration (though
I hope it may be needless) of my being free from the sordid design
attributed to me.'

'Now, this is a very artful dog,' said Mr Boffin, with a deep look.
'This is a longer-headed schemer than I thought him. See how patiently
and methodically he goes to work. He gets to know about me and my
property, and about this young lady, and her share in poor young John's
story, and he puts this and that together, and he says to himself, "I'll
get in with Boffin, and I'll get in with this young lady, and I'll work
'em both at the same time, and I'll bring my pigs to market somewhere."
I hear him say it, bless you! I look at him, now, and I see him say it!'

Mr Boffin pointed at the culprit, as it were in the act, and hugged
himself in his great penetration.

'But luckily he hadn't to deal with the people he supposed, Bella, my
dear!' said Mr Boffin. 'No! Luckily he had to deal with you, and with
me, and with Daniel and Miss Dancer, and with Elwes, and with Vulture
Hopkins, and with Blewbury Jones and all the rest of us, one down
t'other come on. And he's beat; that's what he is; regularly beat. He
thought to squeeze money out of us, and he has done for himself instead,
Bella my dear!'

Bella my dear made no response, gave no sign of acquiescence. When she
had first covered her face she had sunk upon a chair with her hands
resting on the back of it, and had never moved since. There was a short
silence at this point, and Mrs Boffin softly rose as if to go to her.
But, Mr Boffin stopped her with a gesture, and she obediently sat down
again and stayed where she was.

'There's your pay, Mister Rokesmith,' said the Golden Dustman,
jerking the folded scrap of paper he had in his hand, towards his late
Secretary. 'I dare say you can stoop to pick it up, after what you have
stooped to here.'

'I have stooped to nothing but this,' Rokesmith answered as he took it
from the ground; 'and this is mine, for I have earned it by the hardest
of hard labour.'

'You're a pretty quick packer, I hope,' said Mr Boffin; 'because the
sooner you are gone, bag and baggage, the better for all parties.'

'You need have no fear of my lingering.'

'There's just one thing though,' said Mr Boffin, 'that I should like to
ask you before we come to a good riddance, if it was only to show this
young lady how conceited you schemers are, in