which feats he might set up
as Old Parr, if he chose, unquestioned.

There is much shaking of hands, and much bowing, and a great desire on
the part of each young gentleman to take Toots down in Miss Dombey's
good graces; and then, Mr Toots having bestowed a chuckle on his old
desk, Florence and he withdraw with Mrs Blimber and Cornelia; and Doctor
Blimber is heard to observe behind them as he comes out last, and shuts
the door, 'Gentlemen, we will now resume our studies,' For that and
little else is what the Doctor hears the sea say, or has heard it saying
all his life.

Florence then steals away and goes upstairs to the old bedroom with Mrs
Blimber and Cornelia; Mr Toots, who feels that neither he nor anybody
else is wanted there, stands talking to the Doctor at the study-door, or
rather hearing the Doctor talk to him, and wondering how he ever thought
the study a great sanctuary, and the Doctor, with his round turned legs,
like a clerical pianoforte, an awful man. Florence soon comes down and
takes leave; Mr Toots takes leave; and Diogenes, who has been worrying
the weak-eyed young man pitilessly all the time, shoots out at the door,
and barks a glad defiance down the cliff; while Melia, and another of
the Doctor's female domestics, looks out of an upper window, laughing
'at that there Toots,' and saying of Miss Dombey, 'But really though,
now--ain't she like her brother, only prettier?'

Mr Toots, who saw when Florence came down that there were tears upon her
face, is desperately anxious and uneasy, and at first fears that he did
wrong in proposing the visit. But he is soon relieved by her saying
she is very glad to have been there again, and by her talking quite
cheerfully about it all, as they walked on by the sea. What with the
voices there, and her sweet voice, when they come near Mr Dombey's
house, and Mr Toots must leave her, he is so enslaved that he has not
a scrap of free-will left; when she gives him her hand at parting, he
cannot let it go.

'Miss Dombey, I beg your pardon,' says Mr Toots, in a sad fluster, 'but
if you would allow me to--to--

The smiling and unconscious look of Florence brings him to a dead stop.

'If you would allow me to--if you would not consider it a liberty, Miss
Dombey, if I was to--without any encouragement at all, if I was to hope,
you know,' says Mr Toots.

Florence looks at him inquiringly.

'Miss Dombey,' says Mr Toots, who feels that he is in for it now, 'I
really