t I am quite sure you will not deny me the real pleasure of
giving you one of Tara's children," said the Master. "That is a
small return for your gift of Tara herself; but I should like to
think of your having one of this family, and it would make me
unhappy if you were to deny me the opportunity of giving you your
real choice. That was why I asked you to come to-day. It is Tara's
thank-offering, and I can assure you she has excelled herself in
the making of it."

The three were seated now, so that they might observe and admire
the family at leisure.

"Yes, she really has excelled herself. That grey dog there is Finn.
When he was weighed yesterday he scaled nine pounds more than the
biggest of the other three, and they are as big as any whelps of
their age I have seen. That grey dog is going to be the biggest
Irish Wolfhound bred in our time, in my opinion; and if you choose
him he will do you credit. He should be a great champion one day.
You will always know, if you take Finn, that Tara was not
ungrateful to you. As for me, I know very well you will never
suspect me of ingratitude."

"It is very, very good of you, and I shall be delighted, delighted
to have one of Tara's children."

And then the visitor stopped, gazing thoughtfully at the puppies.
Her kind heart was a good deal moved in this matter, and she
guessed more than the Master gave her credit for guessing, in the
matter of how much hope and pride he had centred on the rearing of
Finn. When the visitor spoke again, it was to say, slowly--

"Finn is quite splendid, there is not a doubt of that, and I can
easily believe he will do all that you expect of him. But, if I may
be quite frank, what I should really most like would be to have a
female if I might. I should then feel that I not only had one of
Tara's children of this family, but also that I had a possible
future mother of heroes. But--perhaps you want to keep both
females, or to dispose of them otherwise?"

One would not like to suggest of this good lady that she was
anything but strictly truthful; but it is a fact that she never had
done any breeding of hounds, and that, up till that day at all
events, she had never thought to. But the Master did not know this,
and it was with an undeniable thrill of pleasure that he hailed the
unexpected chance of being able to keep Finn. He had made up his
mind that Finn would be chosen, and was quite prepared and glad to
make the sacrifice; but it was a notab