^ As to the virtue of mongrels, then, I think 

 we can agree. "But," says the owner of the 

 "yard-dog," with the air of one who is scor- 

 ing an undeniable point, "you are trying to 

 undog my dog and everybody else's. After 

 all he is a dog, and not a human being, and 

 Nature, who formed him to be an outdoor 

 guardian, obviously did not intend him to be 

 the questionable ornament of a room. 

 Remember that your immortal Diogenes 

 'bounced into the room, dived under all the 

 furniture, and wound a long iron chain, that 

 dangled from his neck, round legs of chairs 

 and tables . . . and went pell-mell at Tow- 

 linson, morally convinced that he was the 

 enemy whom he had barked at round the 

 corner all his life and never seen yet.' What 

 have you to say to that? Is that a dog for a 

 drawing-room?" 



% Softly, my good friend, say I. As to Dio- 

 genes my answer is ready: "He went to the 

 window where Florence was sitting, looking 

 on, rose up on his hind legs, with his awkward 



12 



