the ship went down, and had
been picked up by a vessel going in another direction, so he had had no
way of sending back news of his safety. The ship that had rescued him
had at last brought him back to London, and it would not be long now
before he would appear at the shop.

You may guess Captain Cuttle's heart was full of thankfulness. But, not
knowing much about such matters, he had an idea that the good news must
be broken very gently to Florence. So at last he commenced to tell her a
story about a shipwreck in which only one was saved, and then she began
to suspect the truth and her heart beat joyfully. Just as he finished
the story the door opened. There was Walter himself, alive and well, and
with a cry of joy she sprang to his arms.

There was much to talk of that night in the little shop. With her face
on Captain Cuttle's shoulder, Florence told him how and why she had left
her home. And Walter, as he took her hand and kissed it, knew that she
was a homeless, wandering fugitive, but richer to him thus than in all
the wealth and pride of her former station, that had once made her seem
so far off from him. Very soon after that he told Florence that he loved
her--not as a brother, but as something even dearer--and she promised
to be his wife.

On the evening before their wedding-day one more surprise came to them.
They were all gathered in the shop when the outer door opened. Captain
Cuttle suddenly hit the table a terrific blow with his hook, shouted
"Sol Gills, ahoy!" and tumbled into the arms of a man in an old,
weather-beaten coat. It was old Solomon Gills indeed, returned from his
long search, and now, to see Walter there, weeping with joy.

In another moment Walter and Florence were both in his arms, too, and
everybody was laughing and crying and talking together. Old Sol had been
half-way around the world in his search for Walter, but had finally
heard of his safety and started home, knowing he would go there also. It
was a very joyous evening, that last evening of Florence's girl life.

The next morning Walter and Florence paid an early visit to the grave of
little Paul. She bade it a long good-by, for Walter had become an
officer of a ship and she was to make the coming voyage with her
husband. Then they went to the church, where they were married, and a
few days later they sailed away to China (with Captain Cuttle's big
watch and sugar-tongs and teaspoons, that he had once offered to Mr.
Dombey, for