The Book of Cats. 2$ 



if he preferred it ; and then resumed his conversa- 

 tion with his friend. A Httle later the old gentle- 

 man showed symptoms of drowsiness, so his visitor 

 begged that he would not be on ceremony with 

 him, but lie down and take the nap which he knew 

 he was accustomed to indulge in after dinner, and 

 he in the meantime would stroll in the garden for 

 an hour. This was agreed to. The host stretched 

 himself on a couch, and threw his handkerchief 

 over his face to protect him from the summer flies, 

 while the guest stepped through a French window 

 which opened on a terrace and shrubbery. 



An hour or somewhat more had passed when he 

 returned, and found his friend still recumbent : he 

 did not at first think of disturbing him, but after a 

 few minutes, considering that he had slept very 

 long, he . looked more observantly towards the 

 couch, and was struck by the perfect immobility of 

 the figure, and with something peculiar in the posi- 

 tion of the head over which the handkerchief lay 

 disordered. Approaching nearer he saw that it 

 was stained with blood, and hastily removing it, 

 saw, to his unutterable horror, that his poor friend's 

 throat was gashed across, and that life was already 

 extinct. 



He started back, shocked and dismayed, and for 



