“No, nor I ain’t gone,” said another voice.
Somebody else had come in quietly by the folding-doors. Turning his head, Wegg beheld his persecutor, the ever-wakeful dustman, accoutred with fantail hat and velveteen smalls complete. Who, untying his tied-up broken head, revealed a head that was whole, and a face that was Sloppy’s.
“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.”