, 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 chuckles.
    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 intrusted 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 of Miss Dombey, lost all heed
