fierce hound was not far off. Who, with so faint a heart as mine,
would not give loud knocks with all her might? But, pray, what
said my Lord at this rude noise? Was He not wroth with me?

Christiana:--When He heard your loud thumps at the door He gave
a smile; and to my mind, what you did would seem to please Him
well. But it is hard to guess why He keeps such a dog. Had I
known of it, I fear I should not have had the wish to come. But
now we are in, we are safe; and I am glad with all my heart.

One of Christiana's boys said: Pray ask to have a chain put on
the dog, for it will bite us when we go hence.

Then He who kept the gate came down to them once more, and Mercy
fell with her face to the ground, and said, Oh, let me bless and
praise the Lord with my lips!

So He said to her, Peace be to thee; stand up.

But she would not rise till she had heard from Him why He kept so
fierce a dog in the yard. He told her He did not own the dog, but
that it was shut up in the grounds of one who dwelt near. In
truth, said He, it is kept from no good will to me or mine, but
to cause those who come here to turn back from my gate by the
sound of its voice. But hadst thou known more of me thou wouldst
not have felt fear of a dog. The poor man who goes from door to
door will, for the sake of alms, run the risk of a bite from a
cur; and shall a dog keep thee from me?

Mercy:--I spoke of what I knew not; but, Lord, I know that Thou