The Book of Cats. 285 



putting back its ears, remain thus, with a wild and 

 terrified expression, for as long as an hour at a 

 time. This was remarked by other persons in the 

 house, and we could not in any way satisfactorily 

 account for Puss's behaviour. Two dogs formed 

 part of the household, and with these she was on 

 friendly terms, and they being of a very meek and 

 harmless nature, she treated them with contempt, 

 as a general rule, boxing their ears now and then, 

 when their presence annoyed her. We came to the 

 conclusion, however, that she must have taken the 

 picture for another dog of a different and higher 

 order, more terrible in its motionless silence than if 

 it had growled or barked ever so fiercely. Its eyes 

 were drawn in that particular angle which made 

 tliem seem to be fixed upon you in whatever part 

 of the room you might be in. Many of us recollect 

 in our childhood some gaunt-featured oil-painting, 

 with hungry eyes, which thus pursued us. I 

 remember one in a scrap-book, which it wanted 

 some courage to face all by onesself, when twilight 

 was gathering. With much of the same shrinking 

 dread Puss seemed, whilst hating, to be unable to 

 break the spell this picture had over her, to the 

 contemplation of which she returned again and 

 again, though frequently sent away. During the 



