DOGS I HAVE KNOWN 59 



strip of grass about a foot wide between it and the 

 water, and here I put the dog, thinking he would 

 be compelled to swim out, but no ! after spending 

 half the day whining and crouching down as if he 

 meant to jump in, he set to work and scratched at 

 the turf and tore at the palings with his teeth until 

 he made a hole big enough to get through. After 

 this I gave up trying to get him to swim. His 

 temper was decidedly peculiar. When I called 

 him to go for a walk, if he approved of the 

 direction taken he would go — if not he would 

 stand and look at me and then go straight 

 home. Once, however, he shewed a very remark- 

 able and amiable trait. I left home and went 

 abroad for a considerable time, and in my absence 

 my father died. The dog at this time had not 

 shewn any sign of attachment to my mother, but 

 immediately after my father's funeral, whenever he 

 was loose, he used to run straight to the drawing- 

 room windows, and, if my mother was there, would 

 remain standing for hours looking in at her ; or, if 

 the front door happened to be open, he would go in 

 and walk quietly into the drawing-room. If his 

 mistress were there he would lie down by her chair ; 

 up to this time he had never tried to get into the 

 house, and directly I returned he never attempted 

 it again, nor even appeared to notice my mother 



