“Exactly so. And nothing can be more laudable. But is the tightness to bind Mrs. Boffin to any and what conditions?”

“Bind Mrs. Boffin?” interposed her husband. “No! What are you thinking of! What I want is, to make it all hers so tight as that her hold of it can’t be loosed.”

“Hers freely, to do what she likes with? Hers absolutely?”

“Absolutely?” repeated Mr. Boffin, with a short sturdy laugh. “Hah! I should think so! It would be handsome in me to begin to bind Mrs. Boffin at this time of day!”