He made the only reply that could be made to so unhandsome a proffer of alternatives, and resolved (not without an inward curse) to propitiate the four-footed arbiter of his destinies.

Now, everybody who has studied, even superficially, the canine race must have discovered that there is never the smallest use in paying court to them. Dogs are often said to be vain, and it is true that in some respects they are so; where they differ from the human race is that, whereas flattery which we know to be interested does not altogether displease us, it invariably arouses their contempt. Topper, therefore, submitted to the caresses bestowed upon him by Captain Leycester after dinner merely for the sake of the biscuits by which they were accompanied. He liked macaroons, and thought he might as well take them when he could get them; but he could not bring himself to lick the hand which he had bitten, nor was he the dupe of advances which as he was probably aware-no self-respecting man would have made. In the course of the evening he allowed himself to be patted, critically surveyed and complimented upon points some of which he possessed, while in others he was somewhat deficient; but although it was evident that he would not again forget himself so far as to fly at Captain Leycester, it was quite equally evident that that gentleman had won neither his affection nor his esteem. In the smoking-room, after the ladies had gone up to bed, Jack Goodwin was made the recipient of a confidential communication by which he was honestly puzzled.

'Well, I'm sure I don't know,' he was constrained to say, scratching his ear in perplexity. She is a great sportswoman, you see.'

6

What on earth has that to do with it?' Captain Leycester wanted to know.

I mean that, from having associated so much with horses and dogs, she attaches more importance to their fancies, perhaps, than most people would; I'm something like that myself. However,' added Jack with a sigh, 'you may be sure that if she had been going to refuse you, she would have refused you to-day, and most likely you will win her heart by riding straight over that stiff country to-morrow.'

Captain Leycester was known among his intimates to be a fine horseman; but unhappily for him there were days when he did not and could not ride straight. That such a day had most inappropriately dawned he became aware when he awoke the next morning with a splitting headache-the result, it may be, of anxiety and mortification-and perhaps, under all the circum

stances, he exercised a sound discretion in determining to remain at home.

'Oh, I shall be all right by the afternoon, I dare say,' he assured his concerned and sympathetic friends; but just now I can hardly see out of my eyes, and I don't believe I could jump over a stick.'

So Jack and Miss Hylton rode off together, and, as Mrs. Lindsay had promised to lunch with friends who lived at a distance Captain Leycester was left to nurse his malady in complete solitude. After he had had his luncheon he felt a good deal better in health, but considerably worse in temper and spirits. Was it the presence in the dining-room of Topper, who deigned to accept further doles of food from him, which caused him to be assailed by a sudden and very base temptation?

'Confound you, you ugly brute!' he muttered; 'I've done my best to make friends with you, and you prefer to be my enemy. Let it be war between us, then; all's fair in love and in war. Now then, you!' he continued, in a louder and more amiable tone of voice,' would you like to come for a walk? Where are those rabbits, eh?'

Topper pricked up his ears. He knew what that word meant; yet there was a look of suspicion and irresolution in his eyes. 'Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes,' he might have replied, if the power of articulate speech had been his.

Nevertheless, he was trotting across the park at Captain Leycester's heels ten minutes later. Doubtless he had weighed one consideration against another and had concluded that a walk in uncongenial company was better than no walk at all. Moreover, he noticed with satisfaction that the man who strode ahead of him was making straight for the woods which sloped down towards the river. In those woods, as Topper knew, there were badgers; and the joy of being put into a badger's earth had been denied him ever since he had been the property of a lady who did not care to have her dogs mauled. Almost he began to be persuaded that this Leycester was a better fellow than he looked or smelt.

Alas! whatever Captain Leycester's previous record may have been, he was at that moment a very bad fellow indeed-so bad a fellow that he felt it necessary to act with despatch, lest he should weaken in his purpose. Having reached the overhanging banks of the stream, which was just then swollen by recent rains and was running rapidly, he picked up a heavy stone, secured it to a piece of cord which he drew from his pocket, and called the dog. Topper advanced, interrogation expressed in his eyes and ears,

and suffered the cord to be attached to his collar.

form of sport was this?

What new

In another moment he had his answer. He was deftly seized by the scruff of the neck and just above the tail, he was flung high into the air, and a resultant splash greeted the ears of the murderer, who turned and hurried away. With that depth of water and speed of current, it was unlikely that his victim's struggles would be prolonged or even visible; still, drowning is a comparatively slow process, and he had no wish to linger upon the scene of his crime.

Well, there is no more cruelty involved in drowning a dog than in hunting a fox or shooting a pheasant, and Captain

Leycester was vexed with himself for feeling so ashamed and remorseful as he did. He had, to be sure, been guilty of an act of treachery; but then again Topper's onslaught upon him had been alike treacherous and unprovoked.

'Besides which,' he reflected, it was just as much a case of sink or swim for me as it was for that cross-grained little brute. If I had spared him, he wouldn't have spared me, that's very certain, and, upon my soul, I believe Alice would have sent me about my business if he had lived. As it is, she will take it for granted that he has gone off poaching somewhere and been shot for his pains. And after a bit, she'll forget him, let us hope.'

Meanwhile, the lady upon whose facility for oblivion he counted was riding homewards with Jack Goodwin, after a very unsatisfactory day. They had left the hounds rather early, having convinced themselves that it was hopeless scenting weather and that they would see no sport by remaining out.

'Captain Leycester has had the best of it, after all,' remarked Alice; it seems to me that he generally does get the best of it.' 'Does he?' asked her companion. In what way?'

In every way, I should think. His friends apparently ask for nothing better than to provide him with all that he wants.' 'I am not so sure that they can. Is he going to get all that he wants, I wonder?'

'Oh, I suppose so,' returned the girl rather impatiently. 'Jack,' she resumed, after a pause, 'you are my friend, as well as his, and you have known me a good deal longer than you have known him. Would you mind telling me why you are so anxious that I should marry Captain Leycester?'

Jack Goodwin looked straight between his horse's ears and answered in a steady, level voice: You are bound to marry somebody soon. I want you to marry a gentleman and an honest man who will make you happy. That's natural enough, isn't it?'

'Quite natural, thank you; but are gentlemen and honest men so very rare? I thought I had the privilege of being acquainted with one or two besides Captain Leycester. You yourself, not to flatter you too highly

She was prevented from finishing her sentence by a little white dog, with a cord round his neck, who suddenly emerged from the belt of trees beside which they were pacing, and caused her horse to plunge violently by leaping up at his nose.

'Go down, Topper, you wretch!' she cried, flicking him with the lash of her crop; I thought I had broken you of that horrid trick. And where have you come from, pray?

Topper shook himself, wagged his tail and snapped viciously at the cord which hampered his movements.

'He seems to have come from a very wet place, at all events,' remarked Jack Goodwin. And then I say, look here! look here! Unless I am very much mistaken, our friend has been having a narrow squeak for his life. What infernal rascals these keepers are!'

He had dismounted and had unfastened the cord, which, with the loop at the end where the stone had been, told its own tale as plainly as could be. It's good luck for Topper that that fellow has something yet to learn in the art of tying a knot,' said he.

'I would not have believed it of Stevens!' exclaimed Alice

6

indignantly. Well, he may look out for another place now, for

I shall dismiss him to-morrow morning.'

piece of strong twine, I see, and it has evidently been used before to tie up a parcel, because there are traces of sealing-wax upon it. I may be able to discover how it came into Stevens's possession.'

She could talk of nothing else until the Abbey was reached, and so eager was she, on their arrival, to set investigations on