"He is dressing again," answered she, laughing; "his boots had done something wrong, or his waistcoat was naughty; I forget which."

"Pshaw!" exclaimed my master; "he will waste half the day with his nonsense. I cannot wait for him. Tell him I am gone on, and he must follow with John. Go back, Captain," continued he, for I was bounding after him in hopes of escaping my threatened companion; "go back. You must do your best this morning, for I suspect you will know more about the matter than your commander."

Most reluctantly I obeyed, and stayed behind, looking wistfully after him as he strode away. I consoled myself with Lily's praises, which I almost preferred to the biscuits she bestowed upon me in equal profusion. After various compliments, she took a graver tone. Now, Captain," she said, "listen to me.”

66

I sat upright, and looked her full in the face.

"You know you are the best of dogs."

I wagged my tail, for I certainly did know it. She told me so every day, and I believed every thing she said.

"Here is another biscuit for you: catch!"

I caught, and swallowed it at one gulp.

"Good boy. Now that is enough; and I have

something to say to you. You are going out shooting with Craven. He is not his brother, but that cannot be helped. I hope he will be good-natured to you, but I am not sure. Now mind that you behave well, and set him a good example. Do your own work as well as you can, and don't growl and grumble at other people. And if you are angry, you must not bark, nor bite him, but take it patiently."

What more she might have added I do not know, for her harangue was interrupted by old John the groom, who was, like myself, waiting for the gentleman in question. John's wife had been Lily's nurse, and he himself taught her to ride and helped her to garden, and had a sort of partnership with me in taking care of her; so that there was a great friendship between us all three. He had been listening to our conversation, and now observed, while he pointed towards the house with a knowing jerk of his head, "There are those coming, Miss Lily, who need your advice as much as the poor animal; and I guess wouldn't be of much more use."

it

The last words he said to himself in an undertone, while Lily went forward to meet Craven, who now appeared in full costume. He was so hung about with extra shooting-pouches, belts, powder-flasks, and

other things dangling from him in all directions, that I wondered he could move at all. Old John shook his head as he looked at him, and muttered, "Great cry and little wool."

Lily began to explain her father's absence; but Craven did not listen to what she said, he seemed intent upon making her admire his numerous contrivances. Lily said he had plenty of tools, and that he would be very clever if he did work to match, but that in her opinion such variety was rather puzzling.

"Of course, girls know nothing of field-sports," he answered; "I can't expect you to understand the merits of these things."

"Oh, no, to be sure," answered Lily good-humouredly; "I dare say they are all very clever; only papa sometimes tells me that one wants but few tools if one knows one's work; but perhaps he only means girls' work. Very likely you are right about yours."

Old John now came forward very respectfully, but with a particular twinkle in his eye which I understood. Said he, "As you are encumbered with so many traps, master, maybe I had best take your gun. You can't carry every thing useful and not useful."

Craven handed him the gun without any objection, and we set off. From the moment that I saw him

relinquish his gun, his real weapon, for the sake of all those unnecessary adjuncts, I gave up any lingering hope of him, and followed in very low spirits. Once in the fields, the prospect of rejoining my master a little revived me; but even in this I was disappointed he had gone over the open country, while Craven preferred remaining in the plantations. Still, old John's company was a comfort to me, and when the first bird was descried, I made a capital set at it. Craven took back his gun; but while he was looking in the wrong pocket for the right shot, John brought down the partridge.

"A fine bird," said Craven. "If it had not been for this awkward button, I should have had him.” "You'll soon have another opportunity," said John; 66 suppose you get loaded first."

Craven loaded; but something else was wrong about his contrivances, and before he was ready, John had bagged the pheasant. At last Craven got a shot, and missed it. He said it was John's fault for standing in the way of his seeing me.

"Well, I shan't be in the way any longer," said John; "for I was to go back to my work if I was not wanted, after having shewn you the plantations. So good morning, master, and good luck next time.”

C

The next time, and the next, and the next, no better success. Bird after bird rose, and flew away before our noses, as if in sheer ridicule of such idle popping, till I felt myself degraded in the eyes of the very partridges. Half the morning we passed in this way, wasting time and temper, powder and shot; and the birds, as I well knew, despising us for missing them, till my patience was quite exhausted, and I longed to go home. Still, I remembered Lily's parting injunctions, and resolved to be game to the last myself, even if we were to have no other game that day. I also reflected that no one was born with a gun in his hand, and that Craven might not have had opportunity of acquiring dexterity; that there was a beginning to every thing, and that it was the business of the more experienced to help the ignorant. So I continued to be as useful to him as I possibly could.

Suddenly, after a particularly provoking miss, Craven exclaimed: "It is all your fault, you stupid dog; you never turn the bird out where one expects it. If you knew your business, I could have bagged dozens."

Highly affronted, I now felt that I had borne enough, and that it was hopeless to attempt being of use to a creature as unjust and ungrateful as he was