At the breakfast table Uncle Richard scarcely spoke. But， just as we finished， he said abruptly to Ernest， "I' m not going to sell Laddie. You and the dog saved Ned' s life between you， and no dog who helped do that is ever going to be sold by me. Henceforth he belongs to you. I give him to you for your very own."
"Oh， Mr. Lawson！ " said Ernest， with shining eyes.
I never saw a boy look so happy. As for Laddie， who was sitting beside him with his shaggy head on Ernest' s knee， I really believe the dog understood， too. The look in his eyes was almost human. Uncle Richard leaned over and patted him. "Good dog！ " he said. "Good dog！ "
理查德舅舅進來吃飯時，凱特舅媽問他：“今天我看見的那個在幹草地上和你說話的人是誰？”
“鮑勃·馬克斯，”理查德舅舅答道，“我把萊迪賣給他了。”
歐內斯特·休斯，那個靠給理查德舅舅做些零工而寄宿在他家的12歲孤兒，聽到這些突然停止了吃飯。
他哭喊著說：“噢，勞森先生，您別賣掉萊迪！”
理查德舅舅吃驚地看著這個和他一起生活了五年的小男孩，在此之前，歐內斯特一直都沉默寡言，從未主動開口要求過什麽，更不必說試圖反抗自己的命令了。
“我當然會賣掉，”理查德舅舅決然說道，“鮑勃肯出20塊錢買下那隻狗，他下個星期就來領走它。”
“噢，勞森先生，”歐內斯特說著站了起來，皺巴巴的小臉漲得通紅，“別賣萊迪了，求求你，勞森先生，別賣它！”
“少廢話！”理查德舅舅狠狠地說，他是那種不會顧及他人感受的人，一旦他決定的事情，誰也不能改變。
“別把萊迪賣掉好嗎？”歐內斯特懇求著，“我就這麽一個朋友，沒了它，我自己還有什麽意思？噢，勞森先生，求求你了，別賣了！”