It was this shallow-pated fellow who made my bones ache t'other day, was it?
It was his friend and fellow-plotter, Mr Trent, that once made eyes at Mrs Quilp, and leered and looked, was it?
After labouring for two or three years in their precious scheme, to find that they've got a beggar at last, and one of them tied for life.

Ha ha ha! He shall marry Nell.

He shall have her, and I'll be the first man, when the knot's tied hard and fast, to tell 'em what they've gained and what I've helped 'em to.

Here will be a clearing of old scores, here will be a time to remind 'em what a capital friend I was, and how I helped them to the heiress.

Ha ha ha!' In the height of his ecstasy, Mr Quilp had like to have met with a disagreeable check, for rolling very near a broken dog-kennel, there leapt forth a large fierce dog, who, but that his chain was of the shortest, would have given him a disagreeable salute.