half-way. During the
administration of the restoratives he had clearly been in two minds
whether to fly at the Captain or to offer him his friendship; and he had
expressed that conflict of feeling by alternate waggings of his tail,
and displays of his teeth, with now and then a growl or so. But by this
time, his doubts were all removed. It was plain that he considered the
Captain one of the most amiable of men, and a man whom it was an honour
to a dog to know.

In evidence of these convictions, Diogenes attended on the Captain
while he made some tea and toast, and showed a lively interest in his
housekeeping. But it was in vain for the kind Captain to make such
preparations for Florence, who sorely tried to do some honour to them,
but could touch nothing, and could only weep and weep again.

'Well, well!' said the compassionate Captain, 'arter turning in, my
Heart's Delight, you'll get more way upon you. Now, I'll serve out
your allowance, my lad.' To Diogenes. 'And you shall keep guard on your
mistress aloft.'

Diogenes, however, although he had been eyeing his intended breakfast
with a watering mouth and glistening eyes, instead of falling to,
ravenously, when it was put before him, pricked up his ears, darted to
the shop-door, and barked there furiously: burrowing with his head at
the bottom, as if he were bent on mining his way out.

'Can there be anybody there!' asked Florence, in alarm.

'No, my lady lass,' returned the Captain. 'Who'd stay there, without
making any noise! Keep up a good heart, pretty. It's only people going
by.'

But for all that, Diogenes barked and barked, and burrowed and burrowed,
with pertinacious fury; and whenever he stopped to listen, appeared to
receive some new conviction into his mind, for he set to, barking and
burrowing again, a dozen times. Even when he was persuaded to return to
his breakfast, he came jogging back to it, with a very doubtful air; and
was off again, in another paroxysm, before touching a morsel.

'If there should be someone listening and watching,' whispered Florence.
'Someone who saw me come--who followed me, perhaps.'

'It ain't the young woman, lady lass, is it?' said the Captain, taken
with a bright idea.

'Susan?' said Florence, shaking her head. 'Ah no! Susan has been gone
from me a long time.'

'Not deserted, I hope?' said the Captain. 'Don't say that that there
young woman's run, my pretty!'

'Oh, no, no!' cried Florence. 'She is one of the tru