“As a being with his hand upon his heart,” cries Wegg; and the apostrophe is not the less impressive for the being’s hand being actually upon his rum and water; “put your supposition into language, and bring it out, Mr. Venus!”

“He was the species of old gentleman, sir,” slowly returns that practical anatomist, after drinking, “that I should judge likely to take such opportunities as this place offered, of stowing away money, valuables, maybe papers.”

“As one that was ever an ornament to human life,” says Mr. Wegg, again holding out Mr. Venus’s palm as if he were going to tell his fortune by chiromancy, and holding his own up ready for smiting it when the time should come; “as one that the poet might have had his eye on, in writing the national naval words: