rvations
to me, which gives me to understand as you admire a certain sweet
creetur. Hey?'

'Captain Gills,' said Mr Toots, gesticulating violently with the hand in
which he held his hat, 'Admiration is not the word. Upon my honour, you
have no conception what my feelings are. If I could be dyed black, and
made Miss Dombey's slave, I should consider it a compliment. If, at
the sacrifice of all my property, I could get transmigrated into Miss
Dombey's dog--I--I really think I should never leave off wagging my
tail. I should be so perfectly happy, Captain Gills!'

Mr Toots said it with watery eyes, and pressed his hat against his bosom
with deep emotion.

'My lad,' returned the Captain, moved to compassion, 'if you're in
arnest--

'Captain Gills,' cried Mr Toots, 'I'm in such a state of mind, and am so
dreadfully in earnest, that if I could swear to it upon a hot piece
of iron, or a live coal, or melted lead, or burning sealing-wax, Or
anything of that sort, I should be glad to hurt myself, as a relief to
my feelings.' And Mr Toots looked hurriedly about the room, as if for
some sufficiently painful means of accomplishing his dread purpose.

The Captain pushed his glazed hat back upon his head, stroked his
face down with his heavy hand--making his nose more mottled in the
process--and planting himself before Mr Toots, and hooking him by the
lapel of his coat, addressed him in these words, while Mr Toots looked
up into his face, with much attention and some wonder.

'If you're in arnest, you see, my lad,' said the Captain, 'you're a
object of clemency, and clemency is the brightest jewel in the crown of
a Briton's head, for which you'll overhaul the constitution as laid down
in Rule Britannia, and, when found, that is the charter as them garden
angels was a singing of, so many times over. Stand by! This here
proposal o' you'rn takes me a little aback. And why? Because I holds
my own only, you understand, in these here waters, and haven't got no
consort, and may be don't wish for none. Steady! You hailed me first,
along of a certain young lady, as you was chartered by. Now if you and
me is to keep one another's company at all, that there young creetur's
name must never be named nor referred to. I don't know what harm mayn't
have been done by naming of it too free, afore now, and thereby I brings
up short. D'ye make me out pretty clear, brother?'

'Well, you'll excuse me, Captain Gills,' replied Mr Toots, 'if I don't