With tearful eyes, and throbbing heart, but with a resigned spirit, she
rose from her knees, took her little bundle in her hand, and went
quickly out into the passage. She did not trust herself to pass the
doors of her slumbering friends, but went by the back-staircase into the
kitchen, and thence into the yard. There was a thick mist over the face
of nature, falling like a heavy veil on the rising sun, and making the
early day but a lengthened night; not a sound was heard, not an animal
had yet been aroused from sleep, save Lion, the large watch-dog, whose
duty it was to wake when others slept, and he bounded towards Gladys,
and her suppressed, 'Down, Lion, down,' failed to quiet him. As she
hurried up the road, he ran after her, and it was not until she reached
the gate, that she had courage to command him with heightened voice, and
threatening manner, to go home. The dog crouched, and then licked the
hand, upraised to send him back. Poor Gladys fell upon his neck, and
burst into tears. He licked off the tears with a wistful, canine
earnestness and love, and again prepared to follow her.
'Back, good dog! Home, Lion!' said Gladys.
The dog turned away with his tail between his legs, and walked half-way
down the road. Gladys hurried through the gate, and along the public
road, shutting the gate behind her upon Lion. No sooner was she out of
sight than the tail was again in motion, the head turned, and Lion was
peering over the hedge after her. As she swiftly pursued her way,
turning neither to the right nor to the left, she did not perceive the
faithful friend that was literally dogging her steps; but still Lion
followed; and thoughtless of master and mistress at home, kept in view
the poor beggar-girl who had managed to win his love, together with that
of all the animal kind around and about Glanyravon.
Thus pursuing her unknown way, and thus pursued by Lion, we must leave
Gladys and return to the farm.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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