He jumped out of the car behind his host, then he turned round. "Span!" he called out. "Span!" But the dog was still lying on the floor of the car, and he made no movement, still less any attempt to jump down. "What an extraordinary thing!" exclaimed Span's master. "Come down, Span! Come down at once!" He waited a moment; then he went forward and tried to drag the dog out. But Span resisted with all his might. He was a big spaniel, and Panton, from where he stood, had no purchase on him. "There's something wrong with him," he said with concern. "Wait a moment, Varick--if you don't mind." He got up into the car again and patted Span's head. The dog turned his head slowly, and licked his master's hand. "Now, Span, jump out! There's a good dog!" But Span never moved. At last Panton managed to half-shove, half-tumble the dog out. "I've only known him behave like this once before," he muttered, "and that was with a poor mad woman whom I was once compelled to put up in my house for two or three days. He simply wouldn't go near her! He behaved just as he's doing now." Span was lying on the ground before them, inert, almost as if dead. But his eyes, his troubled, frightened eyes, were very much alive. Varick went off into the house for a moment. He had never liked dogs; and this ugly brute's behaviour, so he told himself, annoyed him very much. Span got up and shook himself, almost as if he had been asleep. Panton bent down. "Span," he said warningly, "be a good dog and behave yourself! Remember what happened to you after the poor lunatic lady went away." And Span looked up with that peculiar, thoughtful look which dogs sometimes have of understanding everything which is being said to them. Span had been beaten--a very rare experience for him--after the mad lady had left the doctor's house. But whether he understood or not the exact reference to that odious episode in his happy past life, there was no doubt that Span did understand that his master regarded him as being in disgrace; and it was a very subdued dog that walked sedately into the hall where most of the party were gathered together ready to greet the new-comer.