sioned by the washing, which covered the banisters
with a clammy perspiration, entered Captain Cuttle's room, and found
that gentleman in ambush behind the door.

'Never owed her a penny, Wal'r,' said Captain Cuttle, in a low voice,
and with visible marks of trepidation on his countenance. 'Done her
a world of good turns, and the children too. Vixen at times, though.
Whew!'

'I should go away, Captain Cuttle,' said Walter.

'Dursn't do it, Wal'r,' returned the Captain. 'She'd find me out,
wherever I went. Sit down. How's Gills?'

The Captain was dining (in his hat) off cold loin of mutton, porter, and
some smoking hot potatoes, which he had cooked himself, and took out of
a little saucepan before the fire as he wanted them. He unscrewed his
hook at dinner-time, and screwed a knife into its wooden socket instead,
with which he had already begun to peel one of these potatoes for
Walter. His rooms were very small, and strongly impregnated with
tobacco-smoke, but snug enough: everything being stowed away, as if
there were an earthquake regularly every half-hour.

'How's Gills?' inquired the Captain.

Walter, who had by this time recovered his breath, and lost his
spirits--or such temporary spirits as his rapid journey had given
him--looked at his questioner for a moment, said 'Oh, Captain Cuttle!'
and burst into tears.

No words can describe the Captain's consternation at this sight Mrs
MacStinger faded into nothing before it. He dropped the potato and the
fork--and would have dropped the knife too if he could--and sat gazing
at the boy, as if he expected to hear next moment that a gulf had opened
in the City, which had swallowed up his old friend, coffee-coloured
suit, buttons, chronometer, spectacles, and all.

But when Walter told him what was really the matter, Captain Cuttle,
after a moment's reflection, started up into full activity. He emptied
out of a little tin canister on the top shelf of the cupboard, his whole
stock of ready money (amounting to thirteen pounds and half-a-crown),
which he transferred to one of the pockets of his square blue coat;
further enriched that repository with the contents of his plate chest,
consisting of two withered atomies of tea-spoons, and an obsolete pair
of knock-knee'd sugar-tongs; pulled up his immense double-cased silver
watch from the depths in which it reposed, to assure himself that that
valuable was sound and whole; re-attached the hook to his right wrist;
and seiz