omething rather weak in
my--in my head, in short.'

The Captain nodded his own, as a mark of assent.

'But the person said, as we were walking away,' continued Mr Toots,
'that you knew what, under existing circumstances, might occur--he
said "might," very strongly--and that if you were requested to prepare
yourself, you would, no doubt, come prepared.'

'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