f! look to yourself! insult my cat, insult
me! Swear at Jacobina, indeed!"

"If she steals my cream!" cried Peter--

"Did she ever steal your cream?"

"No! but, if--"

"Did she ever steal your cream?"

"I can't say she ever did."

"Or any thing else of yours?"

"Not that I know of; but--"

"Never too late to mend."

"If--"

"Will you listen to me, or not?"

"Well."

"You'll listen?"

"Yes."

"Know then, that I wanted to do you kindness."

"Humph!"

"Hold jaw! I taught Jacobina all she knows."

"More's the pity!"

"Hold jaw! I taught her to respect her friends,--never to commit herself
in doors--never to steal at home--never to fly at home--never to
scratch at home--to kill mice and rats--to bring all she catches to her
master--to do what he tells her--and to defend his house as well as a
mastiff: and this invaluable creature I was going to lend you:--won't
now, d--d if I do!"

"Humph."

"Hold jaw! When I'm gone, Jacobina will have no one to feed her. She'll
feed herself--will go to every larder, every house in the place--your's
best larder, best house;--will come to you oftenest. If your wife
attempts to drive her away, scratch her eyes out; if you disturb her,
serve you worse than Joe Webster's little boy:--wanted to prevent
this--won't now, d--d if I do!"

"But, Corporal, how would it mend the matter to take the devil
in-doors?"

"Devil! Don't call names. Did not I tell you, only one Jacobina does
not hurt is her master?--make you her master: now d'ye see?"

"It is very hard," said Peter grumblingly, "that the only way I can
defend myself from this villainous creature is to take her into my
house."

"Villainous! You ought to be proud of her affection. She returns
good for evil--she always loved you; see how she rubs herself against
you--and that's the reason why I selected you from the whole village, to
take care of her; but you at once injure yourself and refuse to do your
friend a service. Howsomever, you know I shall be with young Squire, and
he'll be master here one of these days, and I shall have an influence
over him--you'll see--you'll see. Look that there's not another 'Spotted
Dog' set up--augh!--bother!"

"But what would my wife say, if I took the cat? she can't abide its
name."

"Let me alone to talk to your wife. What would she say if I bring
her from Lunnun Town a fine silk gown, or a neat shawl, with a blue
border--blue becomes her; or a tay-chest--that will do for