“And now, sir,” said Venus, “having prepared your mind in the rough, I will articulate the details.” With which brief professional exordium, he entered on the history of the friendly move, and truly recounted it. One might have thought that it would have extracted some show of surprise or anger, or other emotion, from Mr. Boffin, but it extracted nothing beyond his former comment:

“Quite so, Venus.”

“I have astonished you, sir, I believe?” said Mr. Venus, pausing dubiously.

Mr. Boffin simply answered as aforesaid: “Quite so, Venus.”