THE CAT TRIUMPHANT 165 



grey cat of the Brontes, watching Emily s bread- 

 making with wise, attentive eyes. She was the 

 silent sister s favourite, and Charlotte has recorded 

 the grief at Haworth when the poor little creature 

 died. There dwelt the cheerful colony of Edge- 

 worth stown cats, or such of them, at least, as were 

 not on police duty in the stables. Miss Edgeworth, 

 though no enthusiast, has left us a pleasant descrip 

 tion of these pussies, and of their delight at the 

 reappearance of a maid who had been absent with 

 the family at Longford. &quot; I forgot to tell you a 

 remarkable feature of our return,&quot; she writes to her 

 cousin, Sophy Ruxton. &quot; All the cats, even those 

 who properly belong to the stable, and who had 

 never been admitted to the honours of a sitting in 

 the kitchen, crowded around Kitty with congratu 

 latory faces, crawling up her gown, insisting upon 

 caressing and being caressed, when she reappeared 

 in the lower regions. Mr. Gilpin s slander against 

 cats, as selfish, unfeeling creatures, is refuted by 

 stubborn facts.&quot; 



That is a pretty touch of &quot; congratulatory faces,&quot; 

 and worthy of the writer s pen. We can see the 

 topaz eyes gleaming softly in the firelight ; we can 

 hear the welcoming purr, and feel the gentle rub 

 bing of the furry sides. It is from Miss Edgeworth, 

 too, that we learn of Joanna Baillie s cat, a splendid 

 Amazon, who once avenged the wrongs of her race 



