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Rh "Person, my lad" the Captain repeated.

"I don’t know what person, I’m sure, Captain Gills," replied Mr. Toots, "I haven’t the least idea. But coming to the door, I found him waiting there; and he said was I coming back again, and I said yes; and he said did I know you, and I said, yes, I had the pleasure of your acquaintance—you had given me the pleasure of your acquaintance, after some persuasion; and he said, if that was the case, would I say to you what I have said, about existing circumstances and coming prepared, and as soon as ever I saw you, would I ask you to step round the corner, if it was only for one minute, on most important business, to Mr. Brogley’s the Broker’s. Now, I tell you what, Captain Gills—whatever it is, I am convinced it’s very important; and if you like to step round, now, I ’ll wait here till you come back."

The Captain, divided between his fear of compromising Florence in some way by not going, and his horror of leaving Mr. Toots in possession of the house with a chance of finding out the secret, was a spectacle of mental disturbance that even Mr. Toots could not be blind to. But that young gentleman, considering his nautical friend as merely in a state of preparation for the interview he was going to have, was quite satisfied, and did not review his own discreet conduct without chuckle.

At length the Captain decided, as the lesser of two evils, to run round to Brogley’s the Broker’s: previously locking the door that communicated with the upper part of the house, and putting the key in his pocket. "If so be," said the Captain to Mr. Toots, with not a little shame and hesitation, "as you ’ll excuse my doing of it, brother."

"Captain Gills," returned Mr. Toots, "whatever you do, is satisfactory to me."

The Captain thanked him heartily, and promising to come back in less than five minutes, went out in quest of the person who had entrusted Mr. Toots with this mysterious message. Poor Mr. Toots, left to himself, lay down upon the sofa, little thinking who had reclined there last, and, gazing up at the skylight and resigning himself to visions of Miss Dombey, lost all heed of time and place.

It was as well that he did so; for although the Captain was not gone long, he was gone much longer than he had proposed. When he came back, he was very pale indeed, and greatly agitated, and even looked as if he had been shedding tears. He seemed to have lost the faculty of speech, until he had been to the cupboard and taken a dram of rum from the case-bottle, when he fetched a deep breath, and sat down in a chair with his hand before his face.

"Captain Gills," said Toots, kindly, "I hope and trust there’s nothing wrong?"

"Thank’ee, my lad, not a bit," said the Captain. "Quite contrairy."

"You have the appearance of being overcome, Captain Gills," observed Mr. Toots.

"Why, my lad, I am took aback," the Captain admitted. "I am."

"Is there anything I can do, Captain Gills?" inquired Mr. Toots. "If there is, make use of me."

The Captain removed his hand from his face, looked at him with a remarkable expression of pity and tenderness, and took him by the hand, and shook it hard.

"No, thank’ee," said the Captain. "Nothing. Only I ’ll take it as a favour