This remark seemed rather to abash Mr. Venus. He hesitated, and said, “Very true, sir;” and again, “Very true, sir,” before resuming the thread of his discourse.

“ Mr. Boffin, if I confess to you that I fell into a proposal of which you were the subject, and of which you oughtn’t to have been the subject, you will allow me to mention, and will please take into favourable consideration, that I was in a crushed state of mind at the time.”

The Golden Dustman, with his hands folded on the top of his stout stick, with his chin resting upon them, and with something leering and whimsical in his eyes, gave a nod, and said, “Quite so, Venus.”

“That proposal, sir, was a conspiring breach of your confidence, to such an extent, that I ought at once to have made it known to you. But I didn’t, Mr. Boffin, and I fell into it.”