o thought of him but as a brother, a brother rescued from the
grave; a shipwrecked brother saved and at her side; and rushed into his
arms. In all the world, he seemed to be her hope, her comfort, refuge,
natural protector. 'Take care of Walter, I was fond of Walter!' The dear
remembrance of the plaintive voice that said so, rushed upon her soul,
like music in the night. 'Oh welcome home, dear Walter! Welcome to this
stricken breast!' She felt the words, although she could not utter them,
and held him in her pure embrace.

Captain Cuttle, in a fit of delirium, attempted to wipe his head
with the blackened toast upon his hook: and finding it an uncongenial
substance for the purpose, put it into the crown of his glazed hat,
put the glazed hat on with some difficulty, essayed to sing a verse of
Lovely Peg, broke down at the first word, and retired into the shop,
whence he presently came back express, with a face all flushed and
besmeared, and the starch completely taken out of his shirt-collar, to
say these words:

'Wal'r, my lad, here is a little bit of property as I should wish to
make over, jintly!'

The Captain hastily produced the big watch, the teaspoons, the
sugar-tongs, and the canister, and laying them on the table, swept them
with his great hand into Walter's hat; but in handing that singular
strong box to Walter, he was so overcome again, that he was fain to make
another retreat into the shop, and absent himself for a longer space of
time than on his first retirement.

But Walter sought him out, and brought him back; and then the Captain's
great apprehension was, that Florence would suffer from this new shock.
He felt it so earnestly, that he turned quite rational, and positively
interdicted any further allusion to Walter's adventures for some days
to come. Captain Cuttle then became sufficiently composed to relieve
himself of the toast in his hat, and to take his place at the tea-board;
but finding Walter's grasp upon his shoulder, on one side, and Florence
whispering her tearful congratulations on the other, the Captain
suddenly bolted again, and was missing for a good ten minutes.

But never in all his life had the Captain's face so shone and glistened,
as when, at last, he sat stationary at the tea-board, looking from
Florence to Walter, and from Walter to Florence. Nor was this effect
produced or at all heightened by the immense quantity of polishing
he had administered to his face with his coat-sleeve