»og„ 43t 
fondness, which in past times he had familiarly been 
accustomed to, he licked the hand from whose eh* 
dearments he had so long’ been estranged. But he 
still held firm to his purpose, and endeavoured to 
oppose his master’s passing to the chamber. Yet 
the servant was suffered, without further disputing 
the point, to go out ; not, however, without another 
growl, though one rather of anger than of resist- 
ance, and which accompanied her with increased 
fierceness all the way down stairs, which she descended 
with the same strange kind of hurry and confusion 
that had marked her behaviour ever since his lord- 
ship’s arrival. His lordship was prevented from 
dwelling long on this circumstance, by ah attention to 
the dog, who, without being solicited further, went 
a few paces from the threshold of the door, at which 
fee kept guard : and after caressing his lordship, 
and using every gentle art of affectionate persuasion, 
(speech alone left out,) went down one of the stairs* 
as if to persuade his lordship to accompany him. 
His lordship had his foot upon the threshold, when 
the dog caught the skirt of his coat between his teeth) 
and tugged it with great violence, yet with every 
token of love and terror ; for he now appeared to^ 
partake the general confusion of the family. Tim 
poor animal again renewed his fondling, rubbed 
his face softly along his master’s side, sought the 
patting hand, raised his soliciting feet, and during 
the use of these endearing ways, he whined and trem- 
bled to a degree, that could not escape the attention 
both of the master and the servant. 
I should suspect,” said his lordship, were I apt 
to credit omens, from a connection betwixt the de- 
portment of the people of this inn, and the unac- 
countable solicitude of the dog, that there ig some- 
thing wrong about this house.” “I have long 
been of the same opinion,” observed the servant, 
u and wish, your honour, we had been wet to the 
