“Thankee,” says Wegg. “Now this affair is concluded, I may mention to you in a friendly way that I’ve my doubts whether, if I had consulted a lawyer, you could have kept this article back from me. I only throw it out as a legal point.”

“Do you think so, Mr. Wegg? I bought you in open contract.”

“You can’t buy human flesh and blood in this country, sir; not alive, you can’t,” says Wegg, shaking his head. “Then query, bone?”

“As a legal point?” asks Venus.

“As a legal point.”

“I am not competent to speak upon that, Mr. Wegg,” says Venus, reddening and growing something louder; “but upon a point of fact I think myself competent to speak; and as a point of fact I would have seen you⁠—will you allow me to say, further?”