'Ha, ha, ha, gentlemen!' roared Sloppy in a peal of laughter, and with
immeasureable relish. 'He never thought as I could sleep standing, and
often done it when I turned for Mrs Higden! He never thought as I used
to give Mrs Higden the Police-news in different voices! But I did lead
him a life all through it, gentlemen, I hope I really and truly DID!'
Here, Mr Sloppy opening his mouth to a quite alarming extent, and
throwing back his head to peal again, revealed incalculable buttons.

'Oh!' said Wegg, slightly discomfited, but not much as yet: 'one and one
is two not dismissed, is it? Bof--fin! Just let me ask a question. Who
set this chap on, in this dress, when the carting began? Who employed
this fellow?'

'I say!' remonstrated Sloppy, jerking his head forward. 'No fellows, or
I'll throw you out of winder!'

Mr Boffin appeased him with a wave of his hand, and said: 'I employed
him, Wegg.'

'Oh! You employed him, Boffin? Very good. Mr Venus, we raise our terms,
and we can't do better than proceed to business. Bof--fin! I want the
room cleared of these two scum.'

'That's not going to be done, Wegg,' replied Mr Boffin, sitting
composedly on the library-table, at one end, while the Secretary sat
composedly on it at the other.

'Bof--fin! Not going to be done?' repeated Wegg. 'Not at your peril?'

'No, Wegg,' said Mr Boffin, shaking his head good-humouredly. 'Not at my
peril, and not on any other terms.'

Wegg reflected a moment, and then said: 'Mr Venus, will you be so good
as hand me over that same dockyment?'

'Certainly, sir,' replied Venus, handing it to him with much politeness.
'There it is. Having now, sir, parted with it, I wish to make a small
observation: not so much because it is anyways necessary, or expresses
any new doctrine or discovery, as because it is a comfort to my mind.
Silas Wegg, you are a precious old rascal.'

Mr Wegg, who, as if anticipating a compliment, had been beating
time with the paper to the other's politeness until this unexpected
conclusion came upon him, stopped rather abruptly.

'Silas Wegg,' said Venus, 'know that I took the liberty of taking Mr
Boffin into our concern as a sleeping partner, at a very early period of
our firm's existence.

'Quite true,' added Mr Boffin; 'and I tested Venus by making him a
pretended proposal or two; and I found him on the whole a very honest
man, Wegg.'

'So Mr Boffin, in his indulgence, is pleased to say,' Venus remarked:
'though i