176 THE FIRESIDE SPHINX 



" I have just been called to the door," he writes 

 from Cobham to his mother, " by the sweet voice 

 of Toss, whose morning proceedings are wonderful. 

 She sleeps — She has just jumped on my lap, and 

 her beautiful tail has made this smudge, but I have 

 put her down again. I was going to say that she 

 sleeps on an arm-chair before the drawing-room 

 fire ; descends the moment she hears the servants 

 about in the morning, and makes them let her out ; 

 comes back and enters Flu's room with Eliza regu- 

 larly at half-past seven. Then she comes to my 

 door and gives a mew, and then — especially if I 

 let her in, and go on writing or reading without 

 taking any notice of her — there is a real demon- 

 stration of affection, such as never again occurs in 

 the day. She purrs, she walks round and round 

 me, she jumps in my lap, she turns to me and rubs 

 her head and nose against my chin, she opens her 

 mouth and raps her pretty white teeth against my 

 pen. Then she leaps down, settles herself by the 

 fire, and never shows any more affection all day." 



Did ever another Englishman relate such infin- 

 itesimal details about a cat ? " Morning proceedings 

 are wonderful ! " Why, all well-bred pussies give a 

 courteous, and, in some sort, affectionate salutation, 

 by way of beginning the day. None are so unwise 

 as to prolong their caresses to the point of weari- 



