Marquis replied with a growl, and amidst subdued yet merry laughter, lord Charles hastened to enlighten his father. 'My lord,' he said, 'the dog has done nobly as ever dog, and deserves reward, not mockery, which it is plain he understands, and likes not. But it was not the mastiff, it was his fair mistress I and my men presumed on saluting in your lordship's presence. No dog ever yet shook off collar of Cranford's forging; nor is Marquis the only dog that merits your lordship's acknowledgment: O'Brien and Tom Fool--the lurcher, I mean--seconded him bravely, and perhaps Strafford did best of all.' 'Prithee, now, take me with thee,' said the marquis. 'Was, or was not the Great Mogul forth of his cage?' 'Indeed he was, my lord, and might be now in the fields but for cousin Vaughan there by your side.' The marquis turned and looked at her, but in his astonishment said nothing, and lord Charles went on. 'When we got into the yard, there was the Great Mogul with three dogs upon him, and mistress Dorothy uncollaring Tom Fool and hounding him at the devilish brute; while poor Shafto, just waking up, lay on the stones, about three yards off the combat. It was the finest thing I ever saw, my lord.' The marquis turned again to Dorothy, and stared without speech or motion. 'Mean you--?' he said at length, addressing lord Charles, but still staring at Dorothy; 'Mean you--?' he said again, half stammering, and still staring. 'I mean, my lord,' answered his son, 'that mistress Dorothy, with self-shown courage, and equal judgment as to time and order of attack, when Tom Fool had fled, and poor Shafto, already evil torn, had swooned from loss of blood, came to the rescue, stood her ground, and loosed dog after dog, her own first, upon the animal. And, by heaven! it is all owing to her that he is already secured and carried back to his cage, nor any great harm done save to the groom and the dogs, of which poor Strafford hath a hind leg crushed by the jaws of the beast, and must be killed.' 'He shall live,' cried the marquis, 'as long as he hath legs enough to eat and sleep with. Mistress Dorothy,' he went on, turning to her once more, 'what is thy request? It shall be performed even to the half of--of my marquisate.' 'My lord,' returned Dorothy, 'it is a small deed I have strewn to gather such weighty thanks.' 'Be honest as well as brave, mistress. Mock me no modesty.' said the marquis a little roughly. 'Indeed, my lord, I but spoke as I deemed. The thing HAD to be done, and I did but do it. Had there been room to doubt, and I had yet done well, then truly I might have earned your lordship's thanks. But good my lord, do not therefore recall the word spoken,' she added hurriedly, 'but grant me my boon. Your lordship sees my poor dog can endure no collar: let him therefore be my chamber-fellow until his throat be healed, when I shall again submit him to your lordship's mandate.'