Mr Dombey's upon this design. But his heart failed him so much as he
approached the scene of action, that, although he arrived on the ground
at three o'clock in the afternoon, it was six before he knocked at the
door.

Everything happened as usual, down to the point where Susan said her
young mistress was well, and Mr Toots said it was of no consequence. To
her amazement, Mr Toots, instead of going off, like a rocket, after that
observation, lingered and chuckled.

'Perhaps you'd like to walk upstairs, Sir!' said Susan.

'Well, I think I will come in!' said Mr Toots.

But instead of walking upstairs, the bold Toots made an awkward plunge
at Susan when the door was shut, and embracing that fair creature,
kissed her on the cheek.

'Go along with you!' cried Susan, 'or Ill tear your eyes out.'

'Just another!' said Mr Toots.

'Go along with you!' exclaimed Susan, giving him a push 'Innocents like
you, too! Who'll begin next? Go along, Sir!'

Susan was not in any serious strait, for she could hardly speak for
laughing; but Diogenes, on the staircase, hearing a rustling against
the wall, and a shuffling of feet, and seeing through the banisters that
there was some contention going on, and foreign invasion in the house,
formed a different opinion, dashed down to the rescue, and in the
twinkling of an eye had Mr Toots by the leg.

Susan screamed, laughed, opened the street-door, and ran downstairs; the
bold Toots tumbled staggering out into the street, with Diogenes holding
on to one leg of his pantaloons, as if Burgess and Co. were his cooks,
and had provided that dainty morsel for his holiday entertainment;
Diogenes shaken off, rolled over and over in the dust, got up' again,
whirled round the giddy Toots and snapped at him: and all this turmoil
Mr Carker, reigning up his horse and sitting a little at a distance, saw
to his amazement, issue from the stately house of Mr Dombey.

Mr Carker remained watching the discomfited Toots, when Diogenes was
called in, and the door shut: and while that gentleman, taking refuge in
a doorway near at hand, bound up the torn leg of his pantaloons with a
costly silk handkerchief that had formed part of his expensive outfit
for the advent.

'I beg your pardon, Sir,' said Mr Carker, riding up, with his most
propitiatory smile. 'I hope you are not hurt?'

'Oh no, thank you,' replied Mr Toots, raising his flushed face, 'it's
of no consequence' Mr Toots would have signified, if he c