OUR DOGS. 115 



descend to have a romp with Stromion for the sake of 

 passing the time, and then Stromion would be perfectly 

 delighted, and frisk and roll his clumsy body over the car- 

 pet with his graceful antagonist, all whose motions were a 

 study for an artist. When Giglio was tired of play, he 

 would give Stromion a nip that would send him yelping 

 from the field ; and then he would tick, tick gracefully away 

 to some embroidered ottoman forbidden to all but himself, 

 where he would sit graceful and classical as some Etruscan 

 vase, and look down superior on the humble companion 

 who looked up to him with respectful admiration. 



Giglio knew his own good points, and was possessed with 

 the very spirit of a coquette. He would sometimes obsti- 

 nately refuse the caresses and offered lap of his mistresses, 

 and seek to ingratiate himself with some stolid theological 

 visitor, for no other earthly purpose that we could see than 

 that he was determined to make himself the object of at- 

 tention. We have seen him persist in jumping time and 

 again on the hard, bony knees of some man who hated 

 dogs, and did not mean to notice him, until he won atten- 

 tion and caresses, when immediately he would spring down 

 and tick away perfectly contented. He assumed lofty, fine- 

 gentleman airs with Prince also, for which sometimes he 

 got his reward, for Prince, the old, remembered that he 

 was a dog of blood, and would not take any nonsense from 

 him. 



