"Comeer!"

Joab paused, looked at her with his ox-eyes, and gravely marching
up, commenced a vigorous scratching against her.

"Arabella," said he, "do you think you could love a shaggy-hided
beef with black hair? Could you love him for himself alone?"

Arabella had observed that the black rubbed off, and the hair lay
sleek when stroked the right way.

"Yes, I think so; could you?"

This was a poser: Joab had expected her to talk business. He did not
reply. It was only her arch way; she thought, naturally, that the
best way to win any body's love was to be a fool. She saw her
mistake. She had associated with hogs all her life, and this fellow
was a beef! Mistakes must be rectified very speedily in these
matters.

"Sir, I have for you a peculiar feeling; I may say a tenderness.
Hereafter you, and you only, shall scratch against Arabella
Cliftonbury Howard!"

Joab was delighted; he stayed and scratched all day. He was loved
for himself alone, and he did not care for anything but that. Then
he went home, made an elaborate toilet, and returned to astonish
her. Alas! old Abner had been about, and seeing how Joab had worn
her smooth and useless, had cut her down for firewood. Joab gave one