It was meself that gave the old brute the dose of medicine
that fixed him."

"But, Michael," said Mr. Lloyd, with difficulty restraining a smile, "it
was not right of you to take the law into your own hands in that way.
You knew well enough that I could not approve of it."

"I did, indeed, sir," answered Michael, "but," lifting up his head as
his warm Irish heart stirred within him, "I couldn't sleep at night for
thinking of what might happen to the young master if the dog weren't
killed; and, so unbeknownst to anybody, I just slipped over the fence,
and dropped him a bit of steak that I knew he would take to kindly. I'm
very sorry, sir, if I've got you into any trouble, but sure can't you
just tell them that it was Michael that did the mischief, and then they
won't bother you at all."

"No, no, Michael. I'm not going to do that. You meant for the best what
you did, and you did it for the sake of my boy, so I will assume the
responsibility; but I hope it will be a lesson to you not to take the
law into your own hands again. You see it is apt to have awkward
consequences."

"That's true, sir," assented Michael, looking much relieved at this
conclusion. "I'll promise to be careful next time, but--" pausing a
moment as he turned to leave the room--"it's glad I am that that cross
old brute can't have another chance at Master Bert, all the same." And
having uttered this note of triumph, he made a low bow and disappeared.

Mr. Lloyd had a good laugh after the door closed upon him.

"He's a faithful creature," he said, kindly; "but I'm afraid his
fidelity is going to cost me something this time. However, I won't make
him unhappy by letting him know that."

The trial was fixed for the following Friday, and that day Bert was
excused from school in order to be present as a witness. His scars were
healing rapidly, but still presented an ugly enough appearance to make
it clear that worthy Michael's indignation was not without cause.

Now, this was the first time that Bert had ever been inside a
court-room; and, although his father was a lawyer, the fact that he made
a rule never to carry his business home with him had caused Bert to grow
up in entire ignorance of the real nature of court proceedings. The only
trials that had ever interested him being those in which the life or
liberty of the person most deeply concerned was at stake, he had
naturally formed the idea that all trials were of this nature, and
consequently reg