"
Beside himself with rage, Lord Lick-my-loof would have laid hold of
her, but she uttered a louder cry than before--so loud that James
Grade's deaf colley heard her, and, having a great sense of
justice, more courage than teeth, and as little regard to the law
of trespass as Grizzie herself, came, not bounding, but tearing
over the land to her rescue, as if a fox were at one of his sheep.
He made straight for his lordship.
Now this dog was one of the chief offences of the cottage, for he
had the moral instinct to know and hate a bad man, and could not
abide Lord Lick-my-loof. He had never attacked him, for the colley
cultivated self-restraint, but he had made his lordship aware that
there was no friendship in his heart towards him.
Silent almost as swift, he was nearly on the enemy before either he
or Grizzle saw him. His lordship staggered from the path, and
raised his stick with trembling hand.
"Boon wi' ye! doon, Covenant! doon, ye tyke!" cried Grizzie. "Haud
yer teeth gien ye wad keep the feow ye hae! Deil a bite but banes
is there i' the breeks o' 'im!"
The dog had obeyed, and now stood worshipping her with his tail,
while with his eyes he watched the enemy and his stick.
"Hark ye, Covenant," she went on, "whan his sowl he selled him, the
deevil telled him,'at never mair sud he turn a hair at cry or
moanin' in highway or loanin', for greitin' or sweirin' or grane o'
despair.
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