“I am willing, Wegg, to come to terms.”

“Willing won’t do, Boffin. I won’t take willing. Are you desirous to come to terms? Do you ask to be allowed as a favor to come to terms?” Mr. Wegg again planted his arm, and put his head on one side.

“Yes.”

“Yes what?” said the inexorable Wegg: “I won’t take yes. I’ll have it out of you in full, Boffin.”

“Dear me!” cried that unfortunate gentleman. “I am so worrited! I ask to be allowed to come to terms, supposing your document is all correct.”

“Don’t you be afraid of that,” said Silas, poking his head at him. “You shall be satisfied by seeing it. Mr. Venus will show it you, and I’ll hold you the while. Then you want to know what the terms are. Is that about the sum and substance of it? Will you or won’t you answer, Boffin?” For he had paused a moment.

“Dear me!” cried that unfortunate gentleman again, “I am worrited to that degree that I’m almost off my head. You hurry me so. Be so good as name the terms, Wegg.”

“Now, mark, Boffin,” returned Silas: “Mark ’em well, because they’re the lowest terms and the only terms. You’ll throw your Mound (the little Mound as comes to you any way) into the general estate, and then you’ll divide the whole property into three parts, and you’ll keep one and hand over the others.”

Mr. Venus’s mouth screwed itself up, as Mr. Boffin’s face lengthened itself; Mr. Venus not having been prepared for such a rapacious demand.

“Now, wait a bit, Boffin,” Wegg proceeded, “there’s something more. You’ve been a squandering this property — laying some of it out on yourself. that won’t do. You’ve bought a house. You’ll be charged for it.”

“I shall be ruined, Wegg!” Mr. Boffin faintly protested.

“Now, wait a bit, Boffin; there’s something more. You’ll leave me in sole custody of these Mounds till they’re all laid low. If any waluables should be found in ’em, I’ll take care of such waluables. You’ll produce your contract for the sale of the Mounds, that we may know to a penny what they’re worth, and you’ll make out likewise an exact list of all the other property. When the Mounds is cleared away to the last shovel-full, the final diwision will come off.”

“Dreadful, dreadful, dreadful! I shall die in a workhouse!” cried the Golden Dustman, with his hands to his head.

“Now, wait a bit, Boffin; there’s something more. You’ve been unlawfully ferreting about this yard. You’ve been seen in the act of ferreting about this yard. Two pair of eyes at the present moment brought to bear upon you, have seen you dig up a Dutch bottle.”

“It was mine, Wegg,” protested Mr. Boffin. “I put it there myself.”

“What was in it, Boffin?” inquired Silas.

“Not gold, not silver, not bank notes, not jewels, nothing that you could turn into money, Wegg; upon my soul!”

“Prepared, Mr. Venus,” said Wegg, turning to his partner with a knowing and superior air, “for an ewasive answer on the part of our dusty friend here, I have hit out a little idea which I think will meet your views. We charge that bottle against our dusty friend at a thousand pound.”