p honours, and other papers showing the Master's own
connection with the Irish Wolfhound Club, and so forth. Mr.
Sandbrook had already made up his mind that this dog must belong to
him, however; he almost resented, in a good-humoured way, the fact
that Finn had not belonged to him before. It seemed to him only
right that the best should be his. But he was a business man, and
he said--

"Of course, in this country no dogs have the sort of market value
that you speak of this hound having in England. That would be
regarded as absurd here. You understand that, I am sure."

"No price you could name, sir, would tempt me into parting with
Finn; only dire necessity makes that possible. But, in this country
or any other, Finn's value, not to me, but to the dog-buyer, would
be a hundred guineas; and he would be very cheap at that. He would
bring double that in England. But I will sell Finn to you, sir, for
fifty guineas, because I am assured that he would have a good home
with you--on one condition; and that is that you will let me have
him again for, say, eighty guineas, if I can offer you that sum
within a couple of years."

Mr. Sandbrook stuck out his chin, pulled down his white waistcoat,
and said that he was afraid he could not make such an offer as
that.

"You see, I am not a dealer in animals," he said. And the Master
answered him rather sharply with: "Neither am I. You know why I am
here, sir." "Yes, yes," said Mr. Sandbrook, stroking his whiskers
with one plump white hand; "but you see, I don't want to feel that
I have to give up a--er--a possession of my own whenever I may
happen to be called upon to do so. No; I could never do that. But,
I'll tell you what; I'll give you seventy guineas for the dog
outright, if you like; but I assure you there's not another man in
the country but would laugh at such a figure for a dog, for any
dog. But I can see he's a fine fellow, and--er--I'll do that, if
you like."

The Master shook his head.

Suddenly then, the Master turned upon the merchant, with a little
upward movement of both hands.

"Sir, I would ask you to reconsider that," he said. "I would ask
you please to try and think what this means to me. It is not a
business proposition to me at all. I have told you what the doctor
said. I cannot neglect that--dare not. But Finn--Finn is like a
child of my own to me; like a young brother. Take him from me for
thirty guineas, and promise to let me buy him back for sixty, if