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 if you'll part company for the present. I believe, brother,'
wringing his hand again, 'that, after Wal'r, and on a different model,
you're as good a lad as ever stepped.'

'Upon my word and honour, Captain Gills,' returned Mr Toots, giving
the Captain's hand a preliminary slap before shaking it again, 'it's
delightful to me to possess your good opinion. Thank'ee.

'And bear a hand and cheer up,' said the Captain, patting him on the
back. 'What! There's more than one sweet creetur in the world!'

'Not to me, Captain Gills,' replied Mr Toots gravely. 'Not to me, I
assure you. The state of my feelings towards Miss Dombey is of that
unspeakable description, that my heart is a desert island, and she lives
in it alone. I'm getting more used up every day, and I'm proud to be so.
If you could see my legs when I take my boots off, you'd form some idea
of what unrequited affection is. I have been prescribed bark, but I
don't take it, for I don't wish to have any tone whatever given to
my constitution. I'd rather not. This, however, is forbidden ground.
Captain Gills, goodbye!'

Captain Cuttle cordially reciprocating the warmth of Mr Toots's
farewell, locked the door behind him, and shaking his head with the same
remarkable expression of pity and tenderness as he had regarded him with
before, went up to see if Floren