I stood on a corner of the railway station, holding my dogs on a leash, with Pretty-Heart under my coat, and I waited. I saw little of what passed around me. It was the dogs who warned me that the train had arrived. They scented their master. Suddenly there was a tug at the leash. As I was not on my guard, they broke loose. With a bark they bounded forward. I saw them spring upon Vitalis. More sure, although less supple than the other two, Capi had jumped straight into his master's arms, while Zerbino and Dulcie jumped at his feet. When Vitalis saw me, he put Capi down quickly, and threw his arms around me. For the first time he kissed me. "God bless you, my boy," he said again, and again. My master had never been hard with me, but neither had he ever been affectionate, and I was not used to these effusions. I was touched, and the tears came to my eyes, for I was in the mood when the heart is easily stirred. I looked at him. His stay in prison had aged him greatly. His back was bent, his face paler, and his lips bloodless. "You find me changed, don't you, Remi?" he said; "I was none too happy in prison, but I'll be better now I'm out." Then, changing the subject, he added: "Tell me about this lady who wrote to me; how did you get to know her?" I told him how I had met Mrs. Milligan and Arthur in their barge, the _Swan_, on the canal, and of what we had seen, and what we had done. I rambled along hardly knowing what I said. Now that I saw Vitalis, I felt that it would be impossible to tell him that I wanted to leave him and stay with Mrs. Milligan. We reached the hotel where Mrs. Milligan was staying, before my story was ended. Vitalis had not mentioned what she had proposed to him in her letter, so I said nothing of her plan. "Is this lady expecting me?" he asked, as we entered the hotel. "Yes, I'll take you up to her apartment," I said. "There's no occasion for that," he replied; "I'll go up alone; you wait here for me with Pretty-Heart and the dogs." I had always obeyed him, but in this case I felt that it was only fair for me to go up with him to Mrs. Milligan's apartment. But with a sign he stopped the words on my lips, and I was forced to stay below with the dogs. Why didn't he want me to be present when he spoke to Mrs. Milligan? I asked myself this question again and again. I was still pondering over it when he returned. "Go and say good-by to the lady," he said, briefly. "I'll wait for you here. We shall go in ten minutes." I was thunderstruck. "Well," he said, "didn't you understand me? You stand there like a stupid! Hurry up!" He had never spoken so roughly to me. Mechanically I got up to obey, not seeming to understand. "What did you say to her?" I asked, after I had gone a few steps. "I said that I needed you and that you needed me, and consequently I was not going to give up my rights to you. Go; I give you ten minutes to say good-by."