Cat and Dog | Page 4

him, and hoped he had had a
pleasant journey.
He immediately began a long string of complaints, blaming everything
he mentioned. He was cold; there never was such weather for the time
of year; he was tired; the roads were bad, the country dull, he had been
obliged to come the last twenty miles cramped up inside a coach. Such
a shame that the railroad did not go the whole way! He was very glad to
get to his journey's end, but it seemed to be more for the sake of his
own comfort than for the pleasure of seeing his friends. His troubles
had not hurt his appetite, as I plainly perceived, for I peeped into the
room several times during dinner to watch him, and listen to his
conversation. It was all in the same style, some fault to be found with
everything. Even Lily could not put him in good humour, though she
seemed to be trying to talk about everything likely to please him. After
the failure of various attempts to find a fortunate topic, she asked if he
had had much shooting this season.
"Plenty of it," he answered; "only so bad. My brother's dogs are
wretched. There is no doing any thing with such brutes."
Lily coloured a little, and said that she thought Rodolph's dogs

beautiful, and that it was very unlike him to have any thing wretched
belonging to him.
"Oh," replied the other, "he is the greenest fellow in the world. He is
always satisfied. I assure you his dogs are good for nothing. I did not
bring down a single bird any time I went out with them."
"Well," said my master, "I hope we shall be able to make amends for
that misfortune. To-morrow you shall go out with the best dog in the
country."
I whined, for I knew he meant me; and I did not like the idea of a
sportsman who began by finding fault with his dogs. I suspected that
the dogs were not to blame. But nobody listened to me.
Next day, while Lily and I were playing in the garden, my master
appeared at the usual time in his shooting-jacket.
"Where is Craven?" he inquired of Lily; "I told him to be ready."
"He is dressing again," answered she, laughing; "his boots had done
something wrong, or his waistcoat was naughty; I forget which."
"Pshaw!" exclaimed my master; "he will waste half the day with his
nonsense. I cannot wait for him. Tell him I am gone on, and he must
follow with John. Go back, Captain," continued he, for I was bounding
after him in hopes of escaping my threatened companion; "go back.
You must do your best this morning, for I suspect you will know more
about the matter than your commander."
Most reluctantly I obeyed, and stayed behind, looking wistfully after
him as he strode away. I consoled myself with Lily's praises, which I
almost preferred to the biscuits she bestowed upon me in equal
profusion. After various compliments, she took a graver tone. "Now,
Captain," she said, "listen to me."
I sat upright, and looked her full in the face.

"You know you are the best of dogs."
I wagged my tail, for I certainly did know it. She told me so every day,
and I believed every thing she said.
"Here is another biscuit for you: catch!"
I caught, and swallowed it at one gulp.
"Good boy. Now that is enough; and I have something to say to you.
You are going out shooting with Craven. He is not his brother, but that
cannot be helped. I hope he will be good-natured to you, but I am not
sure. Now mind that you behave well, and set him a good example. Do
your own work as well as you can, and don't growl and grumble at
other people. And if you are angry, you must not bark, nor bite him, but
take it patiently."
What more she might have added I do not know, for her harangue was
interrupted by old John the groom, who was, like myself, waiting for
the gentleman in question. John's wife had been Lily's nurse, and he
himself taught her to ride and helped her to garden, and had a sort of
partnership with me in taking care of her; so that there was a great
friendship between us all three. He had been listening to our
conversation, and now observed, while he pointed towards the house
with a knowing jerk of his head, "There are those coming, Miss Lily,
who need your advice as much as the poor animal; and I guess it
wouldn't be of much more use."
The last words he said to himself, in an undertone, while Lily went
forward to