staring at Dorothy; 'Mean you--?' he said again, half stammering,
and still staring.

'I mean, my lord,' answered his son, 'that mistress Dorothy, with
self-shown courage, and equal judgment as to time and order of
attack, when Tom Fool had fled, and poor Shafto, already evil torn,
had swooned from loss of blood, came to the rescue, stood her
ground, and loosed dog after dog, her own first, upon the animal.
And, by heaven! it is all owing to her that he is already secured
and carried back to his cage, nor any great harm done save to the
groom and the dogs, of which poor Strafford hath a hind leg crushed
by the jaws of the beast, and must be killed.'

'He shall live,' cried the marquis, 'as long as he hath legs enough
to eat and sleep with. Mistress Dorothy,' he went on, turning to her
once more, 'what is thy request? It shall be performed even to the
half of--of my marquisate.'

'My lord,' returned Dorothy, 'it is a small deed I have strewn to
gather such weighty thanks.'

'Be honest as well as brave, mistress. Mock me no modesty.' said the
marquis a little roughly.

'Indeed, my lord, I but spoke as I deemed. The thing HAD to be done,
and I did but do it. Had there been room to doubt, and I had yet
done well, then truly I might have earned your lordship's thanks.
But good my lord, do not therefore recall the word spoken,' she
added hurriedly, 'but grant me my boon. Your lordship sees my poor
dog can endure no collar: let him therefore be my chamber-fellow