The Book of Cats. 85 



prise a mysterious and plaintive voice. Petrified 

 with fear, she awoke her husband, and began to up- 

 - braid him with his folly for burning his god, who, she 

 declared, was now come to be avenged of them. 

 *' Get up and pray !" she cried. The husband arose, 

 and, on opening his eyes, beheld the same glaring 

 lights, and heard the same ominous sound. He 

 commenced with all possible vehemence to vocife- 

 rate the alphabet, as a prayer to the powers above 

 to deliver them from the vengeance of Satan. The 

 Cat, on hearing the incantation, was as much 

 alarmed as the priest and his wife ; so he escaped 

 once more into the wilderness, leaving the repentant 

 priestly pair in ecstacies at the efficacy of their 

 exorcism. The nocturnal apparition of a Cat in 

 the flesh had nearly reinstated an overthrown idol. 

 Subsequently, Puss, in his perambulations, perhaps 

 in hopes of finding a native fur-clad helpmate, 

 went to another distant district ; and as a maral 

 or temple stood in a retired spot, and w^as shaded 

 by the rich foliage of ancient trees. Tommy, pleased 

 with the situation, and wishing to frequent good 

 society, took up his abode with the wooden gods. 

 A few days after, the priest came, accompanied by 

 a number of worshippers, to present some offering 

 to the pretended deities ; and, on opening the door, 



