"Of course, Robbins, of course; and you shall have it all back; but you see, Robbins, it is not always easy to lay one's hands on a few pounds to give to my son. You know it is quite safe." "Oh, of course, my lord." "I don't like to be so situated that I cannot oblige him with a sovereign now and then." "Of course not, my lord. Will your lordship be good enough to write me an I.O.U.?" "Certainly, Robbins, certainly. There--there--that's it. I.O.U. five pounds--Barmouth. Thank you, Robbins; you are a most valuable servant." "Thank you, my lord." "I've put you down for something handsome in my will, Robbins, so that if I should die some day, as I probably shall, you'll burn these I.O.U.s, Robbins, and pay yourself out of what I've left." "Certainly, my lord; but suppose--" "The will is disputed? Oh no, Robbins, I can do what I like with my money then, and I shall not be ungrateful." The old man took the five pounds and went off, chuckling with delight at being able to supply Tom with a little hard cash next time that gentleman was short, which would be next day; while the butler said something to himself which sounded like-- "Poor old magpie. Well, he ain't a bad sort, and that's more than you can say of the dragon." CHAPTER NINE. LOVE ME, LOVE MY DOG. There was gravel to be ground in Hyde Park, but Lady Maude declined to assist in the operation, pleading a bad headache; so Lady Barmouth took her carriage exercise alone, while his lordship watched till the barouche had gone, when he went up and sat by his child in the drawing-room, and talked to her for a time, ending by selecting a comfortable chair and going off fast asleep. He had not been unconscious five minutes before Maude heard a bit of a disturbance, and directly after there was a scratching at the drawing-room door. She started and listened, with the colour coming and going in her cheeks, when the scratching was repeated, and on her opening the door Joby trotted in, looked at her, gave his tail a wag to the right and a wag to the left. When, catching sight of Lord Barmouth, his canine nature got the better of him, and trotting up to the easy-chair, he sniffed two or three times at his lordship's pocket, ending by laying his massive jowl upon the old man's knee. Maude trembled as she watched the dog, and her face was flaming, but she dared not move. The old gentleman half woke up, and realised the fact of the dog being there, for he put out his thin white hand, and patted the great head, and rubbed Joby's ears, muttering softly, "Good dog, then; poor old fellow," and then went off fast asleep. Joby pushed his head a little farther up, and then had another sniff at the pocket. After this, giving his lordship up for a bad job, or roused to a sense of duty, he trotted over to Maude, laid his head in her lap, and stared up at her with his great eyes.