ioo THE FIRESIDE SPHINX 



never permitted to leave, or in London's Tower. 

 There were probably many French cats who passed 

 their days meditatively in the Bastile, content to be 

 immured with their masters, and accepting like phi- 

 losophers the restraints and the indulgences of that 

 ill-omened, but singularly comfortable fortress. 



" Stone walls do not a prison make " 



for a creature whose independence of character re- 

 mains untouched by the sternest and narrowest of 

 environments. Rather perhaps does she feel her- 

 self a captive when surrounded too strenuously by 

 the doting and troublesome affection of mortals, 

 who cannot be made to understand or to respect 

 her deep inviolable reserve. Lord Westmorland's 

 cat freely shared her master's confinement. Sir 

 Henry Wyatt's cat not only followed him to the 

 Tower, but is said to have saved him from starva- 

 tion by bringing him pigeons to eat ; and though it 

 is difficult to pin our faith to this part of the story, 

 we know that there still exists, by way of confirma- 

 tion, a painting of the knight, seated in his cell, and 

 of his cat dragging a pigeon through the window 

 bars. The present Earl of Romney, who is the happy 

 inheritor of this historic relic, likewise possesses a 

 separate portrait of the animal, with an inscription 

 stating plainly, "This is the cat that saved Sir 

 Henry Wyatt." Why should we remain sceptical 



