ipper.

'Susan,' said Mr Toots, 'I am drawn towards the building. The words
which cut me off from Miss Dombey for ever, will strike upon my ears
like a knell you know, but upon my word and honour, I feel that I must
hear them. Therefore,' said Mr Toots, 'will you accompany me to-morrow,
to the sacred edifice?'

Miss Nipper expressed her readiness to do so, if that would be any
satisfaction to Mr Toots, but besought him to abandon his idea of going.

'Susan,' returned Mr Toots, with much solemnity, 'before my whiskers
began to be observed by anybody but myself, I adored Miss Dombey. While
yet a victim to the thraldom of Blimber, I adored Miss Dombey. When I
could no longer be kept out of my property, in a legal point of view,
and--and accordingly came into it--I adored Miss Dombey. The banns which
consign her to Lieutenant Walters, and me to--to Gloom, you know,' said
Mr Toots, after hesitating for a strong expression, 'may be dreadful,
will be dreadful; but I feel that I should wish to hear them spoken. I
feel that I should wish to know that the ground was certainly cut from
under me, and that I hadn't a hope to cherish, or a--or a leg, in short,
to--to go upon.'

Susan Nipper could only commiserate Mr Toots's unfortunate condition,
and agree, under these circumstances, to accompany him; which she did
next morning.

The church Walter had chosen for the purpose, was a mouldy old church
in a yard, hemmed in by a labyrinth of back streets and courts, with a
little burying-ground round it, and itself buried in a kind of vault,
formed by the neighbouring houses, and paved with echoing stones It was
a great dim, shabby pile, with high old oaken pews, among which about
a score of people lost themselves every Sunday; while the clergyman's
voice drowsily resounded through the emptiness, and the organ
rumbled and rolled as if the church had got the colic, for want of a
congregation to keep the wind and damp out. But so far was this city
church from languishing for the company of other churches, that spires
were clustered round it, as the masts of shipping cluster on the river.
It would have been hard to count them from its steeple-top, they were so
many. In almost every yard and blind-place near, there was a church. The
confusion of bells when Susan and Mr Toots betook themselves towards it
on the Sunday morning, was deafening. There were twenty churches close
together, clamouring for people to come in.

The two stray shee