“That’s a treacherous fellow,” said Mr. Boffin, dusting his arms and legs as he came forth, the alligator having been but musty company. “That’s a dreadful fellow.”
“The alligator, sir?” said Venus.
“No, Venus, no. The Serpent.”
“You’ll have the goodness to notice, Mr. Boffin,” remarked Venus, “that I said nothing to him about my going out of the affair altogether, because I didn’t wish to take you anyways by surprise. But I can’t be too soon out of it for my satisfaction, Mr. Boffin, and I now put it to you when it will suit your views for me to retire?”
“Thank’ee, Venus, thank’ee, Venus; but I don’t know what to say,” returned Mr. Boffin, “I don’t know what to do. He’ll drop down on me anyway. He seems fully determined to drop down; don’t he?”
Mr. Venus opined that such was clearly his intention.
“You might be a sort of protection for me, if you remained in it,” said Mr. Boffin; “you might stand betwixt him and me, and take the edge off him. Don’t you feel as if you could make a show of remaining in it, Venus, till I had time to turn myself round?”
Venus naturally inquired how long Mr. Boffin thought it might take him to turn himself round?
“I am sure I don’t know,” was the answer, given quite at a loss. “Everything is so at sixes and sevens. If I had never come into the property, I shouldn’t have minded. But being in it, it would be very trying to be turned out; now, don’t you acknowledge that it would, Venus?”