Success, my boy!′
He was so perfectly satisfied both with his quotation and his reference to it, that he could not help repeating the words again in a low voice, and saying he had forgotten ′em these forty year.
′But I never wanted two or three words in my life that I didn′t know where to lay my hand upon ′em, Gills,′ he observed. ′It comes of not wasting language as some do.′
The reflection perhaps reminded him that he had better, like young Norval′s father, ′"ncrease his store." At any rate he became silent, and remained so, until old Sol went out into the shop to light it up, when he turned to Walter, and said, without any introductory remark:
′I suppose he could make a clock if he tried?′
′I shouldn′t wonder, Captain Cuttle,′ returned the boy.
′And it would go!′ said Captain Cuttle, making a species of serpent in the air with his hook. ′Lord, how that clock would go!′
For a moment or two he seemed quite lost in contemplating the pace of this ideal timepiece, and sat looking at the boy as if his face were the dial.
′But he′s chockful of science,′ he observed, waving his hook towards the stock-in-trade. ′Look′ye here! Here′s a collection of ′em. Earth, air, or water. It′s all one. Only say where you′ll have it. Up in a balloon? There you are. Down in a bell? There you are. D′ye want to put the North Star in a pair of scales and weigh it? He′ll do it for you.′
It may be gathered from these remarks that Captain Cuttle′s reverence for the stock of instruments was profound, and that his philosophy knew little or no distinction between trading in it and inventing it.
′Ah!′ he said, with a sigh, ′it′s a fine thing to understand ′em. And yet it′s a fine thing not to understand ′em. I hardly know which is best. It′s so comfortable to sit here and feel that you might be weighed, measured, magnified, electrified, polarized, played the very devil with: and never know how.′
Nothing short of the wonderful Madeira, combined with the occasion (which rendered it desirable to improve and expand Walter′s mind), could have ever loosened his tongue to the extent of giving utterance to this prodigious oration. He seemed quite amazed himself at the manner in which it opened up to view the sources of the taciturn delight he had had in eating Sunday dinners in that parlour for ten years. Becoming a sadder and a wiser man, he mused and held his peace.
′Come!′ cried the subject of this admiration, returning. ′Before you have your glass of grog, Ned, we must finish the bottle.′
′Stand by!′ said Ned, filling his glass. ′Give the boy some more.′
′No more, thank′e, Uncle!′
′Yes, yes,′ said Sol, ′a little more. We′ll finish the bottle, to the House, Ned - Walter′s House. Why it may be his House one of these days, in part. Who knows? Sir Richard Whittington married his master′s daughter.′
′"Turn again Whittington, Lord Mayor of London, and when you are old you will never depart from it,"′ interposed the Captain. ′Wal′r! Overhaul the book, my lad.′
′And although Mr Dombey hasn′t a daughter,′ Sol began.
′Yes, yes, he has, Uncle,′ said the boy, reddening and laughing.
′Has he?′ cried the old man. ′Indeed I think he has too.
′Oh! I know he has,′ said the boy. ′Some of ′em were talking about it in the office today.
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