veller.

'There she is,' said Quilp, stopping short at the door, and wrinkling
up his eyebrows as he looked towards Miss Sally; 'there is the woman I
ought to have married--there is the beautiful Sarah--there is the
female who has all the charms of her sex and none of their weaknesses.
Oh Sally, Sally!'

To this amorous address Miss Brass briefly responded 'Bother!'

'Hard-hearted as the metal from which she takes her name,' said Quilp.
'Why don't she change it--melt down the brass, and take another name?'

'Hold your nonsense, Mr Quilp, do,' returned Miss Sally, with a grim
smile. 'I wonder you're not ashamed of yourself before a strange young
man.'

'The strange young man,' said Quilp, handing Dick Swiveller forward,
'is too susceptible himself not to understand me well. This is Mr
Swiveller, my intimate friend--a gentleman of good family and great
expectations, but who, having rather involved himself by youthful
indiscretion, is content for a time to fill the humble station of a
clerk--humble, but here most enviable. What a delicious atmosphere!'

If Mr Quilp spoke figuratively, and meant to imply that the air
breathed by Miss Sally Brass was sweetened and rarefied by that dainty
creature, he had doubtless good reason for what he said. But if he
spoke of the delights of the atmosphere of Mr Brass's office in a
literal sense, he had certainly a peculiar taste, as it was of a close
and earthy kind, and, besides being frequently impregnated with strong
whiffs of the second-hand wearing apparel exposed for sale in Duke's
Place and Houndsditch, had a decided flavour of rats and mice, and a
taint of mouldiness. Perhaps some doubts of its pure delight presented
themselves to Mr Swiveller, as he gave vent to one or two short abrupt
sniffs, and looked incredulously at the grinning dwarf.

'Mr Swiveller,' said Quilp, 'being pretty well accustomed to the
agricultural pursuits of sowing wild oats, Miss Sally, prudently
considers that half a loaf is better than no bread. To be out of
harm's way he prudently thinks is something too, and therefore he
accepts your brother's offer. Brass, Mr Swiveller is yours.'

'I am very glad, Sir,' said Mr Brass, 'very glad indeed. Mr Swiveller,
Sir, is fortunate enough to have your friendship. You may be very
proud, Sir, to have the friendship of Mr Quilp.'

Dick murmured something about never wanting a friend or a bottle to
give him, and also gasped forth his favourite allusi