into ours to lay their love and their com- 

 panionship at our feet. 



"% With what a dignity and grace and dis- 

 cretion does a cat make her offer. She tells 

 you plainly it is there for the taking, but she 

 would scorn to force it upon you, for she has 

 her reserve and is proud of her independence. 

 "If you like me," she seems to say, "and are 

 willing to respect me, count me your faithful 

 cat. I shall make few claims on you. An 

 armchair, a cushion, a saucer of milk, a plate 

 of fish will satisfy my wants. I shall never 

 plague you to take me out for exercise, having 

 my own irregular hours for taking the air by 

 myself. Sometimes I will follow you round 

 the garden, but never slavishly, for little mov- 

 ing things attract me and odds and ends of 

 toilet have to be performed. But I am at my 

 best inside your room." And in this the cat 

 is right. Outside, no doubt, she may have an 

 opportunity to display her courage. Some 

 blundering bully of a dog may see her and, 

 imagining a facile prey or building hope upon 

 39 % the 



