Then it was beautiful to see the St. Bernard.  With a sudden twist of the head he reassured the strange dog,—­telling him, as plainly as could be, not to worry, the gentlemen were only inside, and would be out after breakfast.  There was no mistaking what he said.  It was done with a peculiar curving of the neck, a reassuring wag of the tail, a glance toward the coffee-room, and a few frolicsome, kittenish jumps, these last plainly indicating that as for himself the occasion was one of great hilarity, with absolutely no cause in it for anxiety.  Then, if you could have seen that anxious look fade away from the face of the strange dog, the responsive, reciprocal wag of the night-club of a tail.  If you could have caught the sudden peace that came into his eyes, and have seen him as he followed the concierge to the doorway, dropping his ears, and throwing himself beside him, looking up into his face, his tongue out, panting after the habit of his race, the white saliva dropping upon his paws.

Then followed a long talk, conducted in side glances, and punctuated with the quiet laughs of more slappings of tails on the cobbles, as the concierge listened to the adventures of the stranger, or matched them with funny experiences of his own.

Here a whistle from the coffee-room window startled them.  Even so rude a being as a man is sometimes mindful of his dog.  In an instant both concierge and stranger were on their feet, the concierge ready for whatever would turn up, the stranger trying to locate the sound and his master.  Another whistle, and he was off, bounding down the road, looking wistfully at the windows, and rushing back bewildered.  Suddenly it came to him that the short cut to his master lay through the archway.

Just here there was a change in the manner of the concierge.  It was not gruff, nor savage, nor severe,—­it was only firm and decided.  With his tail still wagging, showing his kindness and willingness to oblige, but with spine rigid and hair bristling, he explained clearly and succinctly to that strange dog how absolutely impossible it would be for him to permit his crossing the archway.  Up went the spine of the stranger, and out went his tail like a bar of steel, the feet braced, and the whole body taut as standing rigging.  But the concierge kept on wagging his tail, though his hair still bristled,—­saying as plainly as he could:—­

“My dear sir, do not blame me.  I assure you that nothing in the world would give me more pleasure than to throw the whole house open to you; but consider for a moment.  My master puts me here to see that nobody enters the inn but those whom he wishes to see, and that all other live-stock, especially dogs, shall on no account be admitted.” (This with head bent on one side and neck arched.) “Now, while I have the most distinguished consideration for your dogship” (tail wagging violently), “and would gladly oblige you, you must see that my honor is at stake” (spine more rigid), “and I feel assured that under the circumstances you will not press a request (low growl) which you must know would be impossible for me to grant.”