With a haughty action, and without looking towards him, Mrs. Lammle held out her left hand, and into it Mr. Boffin put the little packet. When she had conveyed it to her bosom, Mr. Lammle had the appearance of feeling relieved, and breathing more freely, as not having been quite certain that the hundred pounds were his, until the note had been safely transferred out of Mr. Boffin’s keeping into his own Sophronia’s.

“It is not impossible,” said Mr. Boffin, addressing Alfred, “that you have had some general idea, sir, of replacing Rokesmith, in course of time?”

“It is not,” assented Alfred, with a glittering smile and a great deal of nose, “not impossible.”