92 "THE HUMBLE FRIEND."
fellow, and quite a different character from Casar-that
rendered him the favourite brother of his gentlest sister Nelly.
But Nelly, again, was not like Dash; she was, with all her
delicate womanliness, not merely transparent as crystal and
true as steel, but firm as a rock on questions of moment to
her; and it is to cowardly, vacillating natures that I am
inclined to ascribe-in addition to the attraction which bold-
ness has for softness-double motives, and a constitutional
tendency to artful manceuvring and secret defiance.
 It was in secret defiance that Dash waited on Casar.
Dog as he was, Dash knew perfectly well that he was warned
away from the precincts of the watch-dog's couch, and that
every effort was made to show him it was not in accordance
with his own welfare, any more than with his owners' wishes,
that he should expose himself to Caesar's coarse companion-
ship and often grisly humour. And Dash had not even the
excuse of the fly for yielding to the wiles of the spider.
Caesar certainly did not invite the spaniel into his chamber."
He was neither complacent nor cunning enough to solicit his
satellite's company; he did no more than permit it, with a
sort of insolent indifference. Dash chose to risk himself in a
combination of credulous vanity, lurking-not open-naughti-
ness, misplaced affection, and greed.
 The intimacy, if so it could be called, continued in spite of
Nelly Pollard's prohibitions, and the barriers raised by her-
notwithstanding Tot's rougher reminders of his duty to the
spaniel, and attempts at coercing Casar-till a prolonged howl
of terror and anguish arose one morning, and caused the
brother and sister to rush simultaneously-Tot from his
chemical experiments, Nell from her gardening-to the back