The boy produces four shillings. Mr. Venus, always in exceedingly low spirits and making whimpering sounds, peers about for the stuffed canary. On his taking the candle to assist his search, Mr. Wegg observes that he has a convenient little shelf near his knees, exclusively appropriated to skeleton hands, which have very much the appearance of wanting to lay hold of him. From these Mr. Venus rescues the canary in a glass case, and shows it to the boy.

“There!” he whimpers. “There’s animation! On a twig, making up his mind to hop! Take care of him; he’s a lovely specimen.⁠—And three is four.”

The boy gathers up his change and has pulled the door open by a leather strap nailed to it for the purpose, when Venus cries out:

“Stop him! Come back, you young villain! You’ve got a tooth among them halfpence.”