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.’

’What you will, cousin.  He is a noble fellow, and hath a right noble mistress.’

’Will you then, my lord Charles, order a bucket of water to be drawn for me, that I may wash his wounds ere I take him to my chamber?’

Ten men at the word flew to the draw-well, but lord Charles ordered them all back to the guard-room, except two whom he sent to fetch a tub.  With his own hands he then drew three bucketfuls of water, which he poured into the tub, and by the side of the well, in the open paved court, Dorothy washed her four-legged hero, and then retired with him, to do a like office for herself.

The marquis stood for some time in the gathering dusk, looking on, and smiling to see how the sullen animal allowed his mistress to handle even his wounds without a whine, not to say a growl, at the pain she must have caused him.

‘I see, I see!’ he said at length, ’I have no chance with a rival like that!’ and turning away he walked slowly into the oak parlour, threw himself down in his great chair, and sat there, gazing at the eyeless face of the keep, but thinking all the time of the courage and patience of his rival, the mastiff.

‘God made us both,’ he said at length, ’and he can grant me patience as well as him.’ and so saying he went to bed.