'I beg your pardon, Captain Gills, but you don't happen to see anything particular in me, do you?'
'No, my lad,' returned the Captain. 'No.'
'Because you know,' said Mr Toots with a chuckle, 'I kNOW I'm wasting away. You needn't at all mind alluding to that. I - I should like it. Burgess and Co. have altered my measure, I'm in that state of thinness. It's a gratification to me. I - I'm glad of it. I - I'd a great deal rather go into a decline, if I could. I'm a mere brute you know, grazing upon the surface of the earth, Captain Gills.'
The more Mr Toots went on in this way, the more the Captain was weighed down by his secret, and stared at him. What with this cause of uneasiness, and his desire to get rid of Mr Toots, the Captain was in such a scared and strange condition, indeed, that if he had been in conversation with a ghost, he could hardly have evinced greater discomposure.
'But I was going to say, Captain Gills,' said Mr Toots. 'Happening to be this way early this morning - to tell you the truth, I was coming to breakfast with you. As to sleep, you know, I never sleep now. I might be a Watchman, except that I don't get any pay, and he's got nothing on his mind.'
'Carry on, my lad!' said the Captain, in an admonitory voice.
'Certainly, Captain Gills,' said Mr Toots. 'Perfectly true! Happening to be this way early this morning (an hour or so ago), and finding the door shut - '
'What! were you waiting there, brother?' demanded the Captain.
'Not at all, Captain Gills,' returned Mr Toots. 'I didn't stop a moment. I thought you were out. But the person said - by the bye, you don't keep a dog, you, Captain Gills?'
The Captain shook his head.
'To be sure,' said Mr Toots, 'that's exactly what I said. I knew you didn't. There is a dog, Captain Gills, connected with - but excuse me. That's forbidden ground.'
The Captain stared at Mr Toots until he seemed to swell to twice his natural size; and again the perspiration broke out on the Captain's forehead, when he thought of Diogenes taking it into his head to come down and make a third in the parlour.
'The person said,' continued Mr Toots, 'that he had heard a dog barking in the shop: which I knew couldn't be, and I told him so. But he was as positive as if he had seen the dog.'
'What person, my lad?' inquired the Captain.
'Why, you see there it is, Captain Gills,' said Mr Toots, with a perceptible increase in the nervousness of his manner. 'It's not for me to say what may have taken place, or what may not have taken place. Indeed, I don't know. I get mixed up with all sorts of things that I don't quite understand, and I think there's something rather weak in my - in my head, in short.'
The Captain nodded his own, as a mark of assent.
'But the person said, as we were walking away,' continued Mr Toots, 'that you knew what, under existing circumstances, might occur - he said "might," very strongly - and that if you were requested to prepare yourself, you would, no doubt, 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 chuckle
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 entrusted 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 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 Florence wanted him.
There was an entire change in the Captain's face as he went upstairs. He wiped his eyes with his handkerchief, and he polished the bridge of his nose with his sleeve as he had done already that morning, but his face was absolutely changed. Now, he might have been thought supremely happy; now, he might have been thought sad; but the kind of gravity that sat upon his features was quite new to them, and was as great an improvement to them as if they had undergone some sublimating process.
He knocked softly, with his hook, at Florence's door, twice or thrice; but, receiving no answer, ventured first to peep in, and then to enter: emboldened to take the latter step, perhaps, by the familiar recognition of Diogenes, who, stretched upon the ground by the side of her couch, wagged his tail, and winked his eyes at the Captain, without being at the trouble of getting up.
She was sleeping heavily, and moaning in her sleep; and Captain Cuttle, with a perfect awe of her youth, and beauty, and her sorrow, raised her head, and adjusted the coat that covered her, where it had fallen off, and darkened the window a little more that she might sleep on, and crept out again, and took his post of watch upon the stairs. All this, with a touch and tread as light as Florence's own.
Long may it remain in this mixed world a point not easy of decision, which is the more beautiful evidence of the Almighty's goodness - the delicate fingers that are formed for sensitiveness and sympathy of touch, and made to minister to pain and grief, or the rough hard Captain Cuttle hand, that the heart teaches, guides, and softens in a moment!
Florence slept upon her couch, forgetful of her homelessness and orphanage, and Captain Cuttle watched upon the stairs. A louder sob or moan than usual, brought him sometimes to her door; but by degrees she slept more peacefully, and the Captain's watch was undisturbed.
这位孤独无助的女孩子怀着极度的悲痛、羞耻与恐怖，在晴朗的早晨的阳光中奔跑着，仿佛这是一个黑暗的冬夜一样。她使劲绞扭着自己的手，痛苦地哭着，除了胸中深刻的创伤之外，什么也感觉不到；由于失去了她所爱的一切，她晕眩发愣；就像一只大船遭难以后在荒凉的海滨唯一还活下来的人一样，她没有思想，没有希望，没有目的地奔跑着，只想跑到一个什么地方去——任何地方都可以。
长街的林荫路景被晨曦抹上一层光泽，令人赏心悦目；蓝色的天空中飘浮着几朵轻轻的白云；白天战胜黑夜之后，精神抖擞，生气勃勃，脸上泛上一片红晕；但这一切在她破碎的心中却唤不起任何反应的感情。到一个什么地方去，任何地方都可以，只要能把她隐藏起来就行！到一个什么地方去，任何地方都可以，只要能找到一个避身之处，永远也不再去看到她逃出来的地方就行！
可是街道上行人来来往往；商店开着门，仆人们出现在房屋的门口；人们为日常生活与工作奔忙而引起的纷争与喧嚣正在逐渐增加。弗洛伦斯看到从她身旁匆匆走过的脸上露出了惊异与好奇的表情，看到长长的影子怎样又返回到人行道上；她听到陌生的在问她，她到哪里去，发生了什么事；虽然这些情况最初使她更加惊恐，促使她加快步子，更加急忙地往前跑去，可是它们却同时使她在一定程度上恢复冷静，并提醒她必须更加泰然自若，这对她是有好处的。
到哪里去？仍然是到一个什么地方去，任何地方都可以！仍然是一直往前走。可是走到哪里去呢？她想起她在唯一的另一次，曾经在这宽阔茫茫的伦敦迷了路——虽然并不是像现在这样迷了路——，于是就沿着那条路走去。到沃尔特舅舅的家里去。
弗洛伦斯抑制住啜泣，擦干了臃肿的眼睛，竭力使她激动的心情平静下来，以免引起行人的注意，并决定尽可能沿着行人比较稀少的街道走，她自己也更镇静了；这时候一个熟悉的小影子飞快地冲到阳光照射着的人行道上来，突然停住，转着圈子，跑近她的身边，然后又跑开，在她的四周跳跃着，原来是戴奥吉尼斯跑到她的脚边来了；它喘着气，但仍让街上响彻了它的快乐的吠叫声。
“啊，戴！啊亲爱的、真诚的、忠实的戴，你怎么跑到这里来的？你永远也不会离开我，我怎么能离开你呢，戴？”
弗洛伦斯在人行道上弯下身去，把他的毛发蓬乱、久已熟悉、感情深切而又傻里傻气的头紧贴在她的胸前，然后一道站起来，一道向前走去。戴跳离地面的时间比在地上走的时间还多，因为它力图飞跳起来去吻他的女主人；它在地上打滚，然后又无忧无虑地起来，向大狗猛冲过去，向它的同类开玩笑地进行挑战；它吓唬正在清扫门阶的年轻女仆，用鼻子去碰她们；它还经常在作了种种放纵的行为之后，突然停下来，回头看着弗洛伦斯，并吠叫着，直到后来附近所有能听到的狗都响应地吠叫起来，所有能跑出来的狗都跑出来瞪着眼睛看着它。
弗洛伦斯跟这个最后的追随者一起，在早晨时间的流逝中，在逐渐热起来的阳光中，向着伦敦城赶紧走去。不久，喧嚣声更响了，行人更多了，商店更忙碌了，直到后来，朝着这个方向流去的生活的溪流载着她向前流去，它像和它并排流动的宽阔的大河一样漠不关心地流过商业中心地带，流过大厦，流过监狱，流过教堂、流过市集，流过财富，流过贫困，流过善与恶；它曾经梦到过芦苇、杨柳与青苔，这时它从这些梦中醒过来，在人们的工作中与忧虑中，混浊不清、起伏不平地滚滚流向深海。
终于，小海军军官候补生管辖的地盘已经出现在眼前了。再走近一些，小海军军官候补生本人也看得见了；他站在他的岗位上，像往常一样，专心致志地观察着。再走近一些，开着的门在邀请她进去。弗洛伦斯在接近旅程终点时已重新加快了步伐，这时跑着穿过了道路（戴奥吉尼斯紧紧跟着，街上熙熙攘攘、乱乱哄哄的景象使它莫名其妙），从门中穿了进去，倒在她记得清清楚楚的小客厅的门槛上。
船长戴着上了光的帽子，站在炉火前面，正煮着早晨的可可；他那精致漂亮的玩艺儿——他的表搁在壁炉架上，这样他在煮可可的时候就可以方便地知道时间。他听到脚步声和衣服移动时发出的窸窣声，心房怦怦跳动地想起可怕的麦克斯适杰太太，于是就转过身去；就在这个时刻，弗洛伦斯向他伸出手，头脑发晕，倒在地板上。
船长脸色像弗洛伦斯一样苍白，脸上的每一个疙瘩都苍白了；他把她像个婴孩一样托了起来，放在她好久以前曾经睡过的那张沙发上。
“这是心的喜悦！”船长目不转睛地注视着她的脸，说道，“这就是那个可爱的小人儿，现在已长成一个大姑娘了！”
卡特尔船长对她是这样有礼貌，对现已成年的她是这样尊敬，就是给他一千镑，他也不会在她没有知觉的情况下把她抱在怀里的。
“我的心的喜悦！”船长向后退了几步，脸上露出极大的惊慌与同情，说道：“如果您能用个指头给内德•卡特尔打出一个信号，那就请打出吧！”
可是弗洛伦斯没有动。
“我的心的喜悦！”颤抖着的船长说道。“看在淹死在深海中的沃尔特的分上，随风转舵吧；如果可能的话，那么就请升上一面什么旗吧！”
卡特尔船长看到她对这打动人心的恳求也毫无感觉，就从吃早餐的桌子上取来一盆冷水，洒了一些在她脸上。由于情况紧急，船长用他的大手非常轻柔地摘下她的帽子，蘸湿她的嘴唇和前额，把她的头发撩回去，还特地脱下他自己的外套，盖在她的脚上，并轻轻地拍着她的手——她的手在他的手中显得那么小，他接触到它的时候，感到万分惊讶——；当他看到她的眼皮在颤动，她的嘴唇开始翕动的时候，他怀着轻松一些的心情，继续进行这些抢救措施。
“高高兴兴地，”船长说道，“高高兴兴地！做好准备，我的宝贝，做好准备！就这样！您现在好一些了。沉着气！别着急！就这么办！现在喝几滴吧，”船长说道，“您看，我说对了吧！现在怎么样，我的宝贝，现在怎么样？”
在她开始慢慢恢复过来的时候，卡特尔船长把表跟医生诊察病人的方法模糊地联系起来了；他从壁炉架上取下表，挂在他的钩子上，然后把弗洛伦斯的手放在他的手里，不断地一会儿看看手，一会儿看看表，好像指望从表的针盘上看到什么似的。
“现在怎么样，我的宝贝？”船长说道，“现在怎么样？我觉得，你已给她帮了一些忙，我的孩子，”船长低声说道，一边向表赞许地看了一眼。“每天早上把你拨回半小时，每天傍晚把你拨回大约一刻钟，这样就只有少数几只表能跟你不分高低，能超过你的就绝对没有了。现在怎么样，我的小姑娘夫人？”
“卡特尔船长，是您吗？”弗洛伦斯稍稍欠起身来，喊道。
“是的，是的，我的小姑娘夫人，”船长在心中急忙决定采用这个最优美的称呼方式，这是他所能想出来的最尊敬的称呼方式。
“沃尔特舅舅在这里吗？”弗洛伦斯问道。
“在这里吗，宝贝？”船长回答道，“他已好久不在这里了。自从他出去寻找可怜的沃尔特以后，就没有听到他的消息了。不过，”船长采用了一段引语，说道，“虽然已看不到他了，但却仍亲切地怀念着他；英国，故乡与美丽万岁！”
“您住在这里吗？”弗洛伦斯问道。
“是的，我的小姑娘夫人，”船长回答道。
“啊，卡特尔船长，”弗洛伦斯喊道，一边把两只手合在一起，疯狂似地说着。“救救我吧！把我留在这里吧！别让任何人知道我在哪里！不久等我恢复精力以后，我会把发生的事情告诉您的。在这世界上，我已没有可以投靠的人了。别把我打发走吧！”
“把您打发走，我的小姑娘夫人！”船长高声喊道。“您，我的心的喜悦，等一会儿，我们把舷窗盖关紧，把钥匙在锁眼里转动两次！”
船长说完之后，就极其熟练地用一只手和他的钩子从门上取下护窗板，把它关上，并把门锁紧。
当他回到弗洛伦斯身边的时候，她拉过他的手，吻了吻它。她在这个动作中表达出她无依无靠的处境，也表达了她对他的恳求和她对他的信任；在她脸上流露出难以形容的悲伤。她在精神上无疑曾经受到而且还继续受着痛苦；他知道她过去的历史，又看到她现在孤苦伶仃、精疲力竭、毫无保护的状态，——所有这一切全都涌集到善良的船长的心头，使他充满了怜悯与温厚的感情。
“我的小姑娘夫人，”船长说道，一边用袖子擦着鼻梁，把它擦得像磨亮的铜一样，闪闪发亮，“在你觉得能风平浪静、从容自在地航行之前，请一个字也别跟爱德华•卡特尔说。不在今天，也不在明天。至于说把您抛弃，或者去报告您在哪里，那么说实话，依靠上帝帮助，我是不会干这种事情的。请去翻一下《教义问答》，在找到这句话的地方，请做个记号！”
这些话连同《教义问答》的引语，船长是一口气说出来的，说时一本正经，在说到“说实话”的时候，他摘下了帽子，在所有的话都说完之后又把它戴上。
弗洛伦斯唯一能做的事就是感谢他，并向他表示她信任他，她这样做了。她抱住这个性格粗犷的人，把他作为她悲痛的心的最后一个庇护所；她把头靠在他的诚实的肩膀上，搂着他的脖子，本来还想跪下去感谢他，可是他猜到了她的意图，就像一个真正的男子汉一样制止了她。
“镇静！”船长说道。“镇静！您知道，我的宝贝，您太虚弱了，不好站着，必须再躺到这里来。好了，好了！”看看船长怎样把她托起来，放到沙发上，并把他的外套覆盖着她，即使把成百个壮丽的景色丢开不看，那也是值得的，“现在，”船长说道，“您必须吃点早饭，小姑娘夫人，这条狗也要吃点。
然后您上楼到老所尔•吉尔斯的房间去，像天使一样睡一觉。”
卡特尔船长提到戴奥吉尼斯的时候，抚摸抚摸它，戴奥吉尼斯亲切地迎着他走过去接受这一建议。在船长对弗洛伦斯进行抢救措施的时候，他显然打不定主意，是向船长猛扑过去呢，还是向他表示友好。他感情上的这种斗争，表现在或者摇摇尾巴，或者露露牙齿，有时还嗥叫一、两声。但到这时他的疑团已完全消除了。很明显，他认为船长是最和蔼可亲的人们当中的一位，跟他认识对任何一条狗来说都是光荣的。
可以证明他怀有这样信念的是，当船长在泡茶和烤面包片的时候，他一直跟随着船长，并对他的家务管理表示出浓厚的兴趣。可是仁厚的船长给弗洛伦斯准备这些饮食却是白费力气，她本想要表示一点领情的心意，尽量设法吃一点，但却什么也吃不下去，而只能哭着，不住地哭着。
“好了，好了，”富有同情心的船长说道，“你需要睡觉了，我的心的喜悦，睡一觉之后你跑的航程会更多。现在，我要给你发口粮了，我的孩子。”他对戴奥吉尼斯说道。“在这之后，你应当到楼上去守卫你的女主人。”
戴奥吉尼斯起初虽然流着口水，眼睛闪着亮光，直盯盯地看着指定给他的早餐，但是当把早餐端到他面前的时候，他却没有饿得迫不及待地向它扑过去，而是竖起耳朵，奔到店门边，狂暴地吠叫着，并用鼻面在门槛下面打着洞，仿佛他想要掘通一条出路似的。
“难道那里有什么人吗？”弗洛伦斯惊恐地问道。
“没有，我的小姑娘夫人，”船长回答道。“有谁到这里会不敲门的呢？大胆些，别害怕，宝贝。看来只不过有人路过这里罢了。”
可是虽然这么说，戴奥吉尼斯仍怀着难以消除的怒气，吠叫着，吠叫着，在门槛下面打着洞，打着洞；每当他停下来听一听的时候，他总好像是更有信心似的，因为他又开始吠叫和打洞，这样反复了十多次。甚至当劝他回去吃早餐的时候，他还是露出十分疑惑的神色，慢吞吞地走着；然后一口也没吃，又突然发起怒来，向门口猛冲过去。
“是不是有什么人在那里偷听和偷看？”弗洛伦斯低声说道，“也许有什么人看到我到这里来了——有什么人跟随着我吧。”
“那位姑娘不会到这里来吧，小姑娘夫人？”船长心中忽然闪现出一个想法，就这样问道。
“苏珊？”弗洛伦斯摇摇头，说道。“嗳，不会的！苏珊早就离开我了。”
“我希望，不是抛开你，擅自离走的吧？”船长问道。“别跟我讲那位姑娘逃跑的事，我的宝贝！”
“啊，不，不！”弗洛伦斯喊道，“她的心是世界上最忠诚的心当中的一个。”
船长听到这个回答，感到十分宽慰，他取下那顶上了光的硬帽子，用卷得像一只球似的手绢轻轻拍打着脑袋各处，并怀着无比自得的心情，露出喜气洋洋的神色，几次重复说道，他知道这一点，他就这样来表示他的满意。
