a few boys who had turned out well in spite of the system,
and roundly asserting that they could have only turned out well because
of it. Which settled the business of those objectors out of hand, and
established the glory of the Grinders' Institution.

CHAPTER 39. Further Adventures of Captain Edward Cuttle, Mariner

Time, sure of foot and strong of will, had so pressed onward, that the
year enjoined by the old Instrument-maker, as the term during which his
friend should refrain from opening the sealed packet accompanying the
letter he had left for him, was now nearly expired, and Captain Cuttle
began to look at it, of an evening, with feelings of mystery and
uneasiness.

The Captain, in his honour, would as soon have thought of opening the
parcel one hour before the expiration of the term, as he would have
thought of opening himself, to study his own anatomy. He merely brought
it out, at a certain stage of his first evening pipe, laid it on the
table, and sat gazing at the outside of it, through the smoke, in silent
gravity, for two or three hours at a spell. Sometimes, when he had
contemplated it thus for a pretty long while, the Captain would hitch
his chair, by degrees, farther and farther off, as if to get beyond
the range of its fascination; but if this were his design, he never
succeeded: for even when he was brought up by the parlour wall, the
packet still attracted him; or if his eyes, in thoughtful wandering,
roved to the ceiling or the fire, its image immediately followed, and
posted itself conspicuously among the coals, or took up an advantageous
position on the whitewash.

In respect of Heart's Delight, the Captain's parental and admiration
knew no change. But since his last interview with Mr Carker, Captain
Cuttle had come to entertain doubts whether his former intervention in
behalf of that young lady and his dear boy Wal'r, had proved altogether
so favourable as he could have wished, and as he at the time believed.
The Captain was troubled with a serious misgiving that he had done more
harm than good, in short; and in his remorse and modesty he made the
best atonement he could think of, by putting himself out of the way of
doing any harm to anyone, and, as it were, throwing himself overboard
for a dangerous person.

Self-buried, therefore, among the instruments, the Captain never went
near Mr Dombey's house, or reported himself in any way to Florence or
Miss Nipper. He even severed himself fr