 his infernal den, and takes a delight in looking on and
chuckling while I scorch, and burn, and bruise, and maim myself - Quilp, who
never once, no, never once, in all our communications together, has treated me
otherwise than as a dog - Quilp, whom I have always hated with my whole heart,
but never so much as lately. He gives me the cold shoulder on this very matter
as if he had had nothing to do with it, instead of being the first to propose
it. I can't trust him. In one of his howling, raving, blazing humours, I believe
he'd let it out, if it was murder, and never think of himself so long as he
could terrify me. Now,« said Brass, picking up his hat again and replacing the
shade over his eye, and actually crouching down, in the excess of his servility,
»what does all this lead to? - what should you say it led me to, gentlemen? -
could you guess at all near the mark?«
    Nobody spoke. Brass stood smirking for a little while, as if he had
propounded some choice conundrum; and then said:
    »To be short with you, then, it leads me to this. If the truth has come out,
as it plainly has in a manner that there's no standing up against - and a very
sublime and grand thing is Truth, gentlemen, in its way, though like other
sublime and grand things, such as thunder-storms and that, we're not always over
and above glad to see it - I had better turn upon this man than let this man
turn upon me. It's clear to me that I am done for. Therefore, if anybody is to
split, I had better be the person and have the advantage of it. Sarah, my dear,
comparatively speaking you're safe. I relate these circumstances for my own
profit.«
    With that, Mr. Brass, in a great hurry, revealed the whole story; bearing as
heavily as possible on his amiable employer, and making himself out to be rather
a saint-like and holy character, though subject - he acknowledged - to human
weaknesses. He concluded thus:
    »Now, gentlemen, I am not a man who does things by halves. Being in for a
penny, I am ready, as the saying is, to be in for a pound. You must do with me
what you please, and take me where you please. If you wish to
