human
Do you know, he said--we were now at the steps of my boarding-house--
gpt
I? Why I'm foolishly faithful,
human
I say you are fickle, he asserted with mock seriousness.
gpt
Now I know one chap that you used to think the world and all about, but whom you have completely forgotten. The poor little fellow came to me, and told me all about it himself.
human
So you've forgotten all about your little dog, have you?
gpt
Verley!
human
Yes, Verley.
gpt
Oh, you've seen him?
human
I've got him. He's mine now--ours, shall we say?
gpt
Oh, did Dr. Manning give him to you?
human
Not much. He _sold_ him to me.
gpt
He had no right to do that. Verley was my dog.
human
But you owed Dr. Manning for your fare from Boston.
gpt
That's true. Did he tell you that?
human
No, but I knew it, and I didn't like the idea of your owing anything to any one except--me, and he gave me one of his warmest smiles when he said that.
gpt
I did not see the doctor myself, but a friend arranged the matter for me. By the way, he owes you a considerable little sum over the amount he paid for your fare from Boston, though we are not going to bother collecting it. We'll let it go.
human
What do you mean?
gpt
It seems he considered the dog a very expensive article. I paid him three hundred dollars for Verley, whose high-bred ancestry I very much doubt.
human
Three hundred dollars! Oh, what a shame! He wasn't worth anything like that,
gpt
Yes, he was worth that to me: he was--_yours_.
human
Now I know you do like me, I said,
gpt
Nonsense!
human
Why do you bother about me at all, then?
gpt
I told you why. I'm interested in you--that's all,
human
Is that--_really_--all?
gpt
Yes, he said in a rough whisper;
human
Well, anyway, I said,
gpt
No, don't stop doing _that_, whatever happens. That would be a calamity hard to bear--now.