“His class—ach! the nervous sensibilities of those two were about as similar as those of a Kentucky thoroughbred and a Galapagos turtle! There are some men who can never get it through their heads that the only way to hurt another man’s feelings is with a club.
“When I spoke, Claud glanced down at Dixie, and he saw the danger in the animal’s eyes, to which Deshay was quite blind.
“‘Dixie!’ said Claud, reprovingly; that was all, but Dixie understood and his beautiful head dropped contritely.
“‘Oh, Dixie’s all right,’ said Deshay, carelessly, and, will you believe it, he swung down and took the dog’s two forepaws, raised him up on his hind legs, while he pulled his ears playfully, and, taking the sensitive muzzle in his coarse hand, shook it back and forth! Ach! I have never been so overcome with admiration for the self-control of any living creature as I was for its amazing exhibition by that bloodhound! One saw him shudder, half close his eyes, as if in a disgust too deep for any expression. I really believe, Doctor, that the dog and master were at the psychological instant of Deshay’s caress possessed of precisely the same emotions. Do you know, I believe that the hound accepted the human animal’s familiarity less through discipline than a high-minded sense of courtesy which forbade his rejecting overtures which had the semblance of good will, for at first Deshay actually liked Dixie, and was unable to see that the dog had loathed him from the start.
“Deshay turned to Claud. ‘There’s a good chap,’ he said; ‘you don’t mind sticking it out to Samoa, do you, now?’
“‘I’m sorry,’ began Claud.
“‘Oh, come,’ said Deshay, and again there was in his voice that imperative note which had struck me so unpleasantly the day before. ‘You can’t tell yet whether you’re going to like the cruise or not; you will begin to enjoy it in a couple of days—you know you will.’ He fastened his lustrous eyes fixedly on the seraphic blue ones of the boy. ‘You know you will like it—don’t you, now?’ There was in his voice a peremptory assertion.
“‘Perhaps you are right,’ said Claud, and looked over the rail.
“‘Of course I am right,’ said Deshay, loudly, and clapped him on the shoulder again. ‘Now, let’s have a drink to show there’s no hard feeling. Steward!’ he bellowed down the companionway.
“‘But, look here, Captain,’ said Claud, feebly, ‘you seem to forget that I’ve given up drinking.’