[Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens]@TWC D-Link bookDombey and Son CHAPTER 19 16/23
Sol Gills, heave ahead again!' 'But there or somewhere, it shall lie, Ned, until Wally comes back to claim it,' said the old man.
'That's all I meant to say.' 'And well said too,' returned the Captain; 'and if we three don't crack that bottle in company, I'll give you two leave to.' Notwithstanding the Captain's excessive joviality, he made but a poor hand at the smoky tongue, though he tried very hard, when anybody looked at him, to appear as if he were eating with a vast appetite.
He was terribly afraid, likewise, of being left alone with either Uncle or nephew; appearing to consider that his only chance of safety as to keeping up appearances, was in there being always three together. This terror on the part of the Captain, reduced him to such ingenious evasions as running to the door, when Solomon went to put his coat on, under pretence of having seen an extraordinary hackney-coach pass: and darting out into the road when Walter went upstairs to take leave of the lodgers, on a feint of smelling fire in a neighbouring chimney.
These artifices Captain Cuttle deemed inscrutable by any uninspired observer. Walter was coming down from his parting expedition upstairs, and was crossing the shop to go back to the little parlour, when he saw a faded face he knew, looking in at the door, and darted towards it. 'Mr Carker!' cried Walter, pressing the hand of John Carker the Junior. 'Pray come in! This is kind of you, to be here so early to say good-bye to me.
You knew how glad it would make me to shake hands with you, once, before going away.
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