forbearance.

"I brought your dawg," said the man with ingratiating geniality, baring
three dark-brown stumps that had once been teeth; "I brought your
dawg," he repeated, looking down at what appeared to be four enormous
legs loosely attached to a long, sinuous body.

"You're mistaken," said Mr. Hearty. "It's not mine; I don't keep a
dog."

"My mistake, guv'nor," replied the man with a grin; "I should 'a said
the dawg wot you're a-lookin' for. 'Ere, Lily, drop it."

This last remark was addressed to the dog, who, seeing Mr. Hearty's
soft black felt hat lying on a box, had seized it in her enormous jaws.
She looked up at her master and shook the hat roguishly with a gurgle
of joy; but a sharp cuff on the muzzle caused her to drop what her
teeth and saliva had already ruined.

"This is just the dawg you're wantin'," continued the man pleasantly,
indicating Lily, who had lain down and was now occupying the entire
centre of the shop, looking about her with distended jaws and a great
flap of whitey-red tongue hanging out amiably. "Playful as a kitten,
and an 'ouse-dog as 'ud eat a burglar an' then go back to dawg-biscuit
wivout a murmur. She's some dawg, is Lily!"

"But I don't want a dog," replied Mr. Hearty, eyeing his hat, which the
man was endeavouring to clean with his coat-sleeve. "Will you please
take it away?" There was a note of asperity in his voice.

"Don't want a dawg? Don't want a dawg?" There was menace in the man's
manner that caused Mr. Hearty some anxiety, and he looked appealingly
at Smith, his chief assistant, and the boy, who stood regarding the
episode with an enjoyment they dare not express.

"Don't want a dawg?" repeated the man for the third time. "You jest
read this," thrusting out towards Mr. Hearty the dirty piece of paper
he held in his hand. "You jest read this an' you'll ruddy well see
that yer do want a dawg, an' this 'ere is the dawg yer want."

Mr. Hearty mechanically took the piece of paper the man thrust towards
him. It was a cutting of an advertisement, which read:

"DOG WANTED, breed not important, provided it is a large and good
house-dog. Not to cost more than L4. Apply personally with animal to
Alfred Hearty, 530 Fulham High Street, S.W., on Saturday at 10.30 a.m."

Mr. Hearty looked from the paper to Lily's owner in an uncomprehending
way and then back to the advertisement again.

"The breed ain't important in Lily," remarked the man. "She's took
priz