38 "LOW LIFE."
to keep house, which he did with sufficient uprightness, in the
family's absence.
 Mr. Miles had gone home when the service was over, and
liberated the dog, permitting him to join the little party, in
their Sunday clothes, that set out to meet and greet the wife
and mother on her expected return.
 Mrs. Miles had appeared duly, and been gratified by her
husband's attention. The group were proceeding in the
most exemplary and agreeable fashion along the village street,
when the heads of the household were startled by the nudges
and sniggles, rising into roars of laughter, which their progress
drew forth-not only from the loiterers about the ale-house
door, but from the more decorous passers-by, carrying home
their Sunday's dinner from the baker's oven.
 Mrs. Miles glanced round indignantly at her husband and
two children, and could discover nothing-unless a pleasing
picture of domestic felicity, which ought to have excited
admiration or envy, not contempt-to account for the derision
with which even some of her own particular friends were
regarding the family, till she looked behind her, and then
Mrs. Miles saw it all.
 To her horror, Mrs. Miles found that Prince was scouring
along close to heel, bearing a whole roast duck by his teeth in
its back. He had been unable to pass the baker's door,
though the shutter was on the window: having entered, his
nose had beguiled him into a more daring and serious crime
than the petty pilfering which was the usual extent of his
delinquencies. And Mrs. Miles could not create the scandal
on the Sunday, with the parson coming out of the rectory at
her back, of having the dog pursued and deprived of his prey.