Our Mutual Friend Book 1, Part 2, Chapter 7 Summary

Mr. Wegg Looks After Himself

  • On his way to Mr. Boffin's house, Silas Wegg takes a detour into a taxidermy store in a creepy part of London. How's that for nightmare fuel?
  • Once inside, he starts chatting with an old acquaintance named Mr. Venus. Venus offers him tea and a muffin before the conversation starts. As Wegg looks around the shop, he realizes that there are human skeletons and human limbs alongside the animal ones.
  • If you're anything like us, you're now screaming into your pillow.
  • After some small talk about how much money Wegg could get for his skeleton after he dies, Mr. Venus shows Wegg a card that's been written to him (Venus) from a young woman.
  • Essentially, the woman has rejected a marriage proposal from Mr. Venus because of his super creepy job.
  • Rather than listen to this sob story, Wegg gets up and says he needs to be on his way to Mr. Boffin, who is living in the old Harmon house.
  • Venus is impressed with the cushy position Wegg has weaseled for himself. Venus mentions some old rumors about how Old Man Harmon used to hide valuables in the mounds of his dump. (You might want to remember this part.)
  • Wegg shakes Venus' hand and heads for Boffin's place.