CH. v.] Rats in a Ladys Chamber. 89 



ever did rat-catching with my hat off, and it 

 felt very queer. 



Again, I once killed a mother rat and a 

 lot of young ones which I found in the 

 stuffing of a spring sofa in a spare bedroom 

 at an old manor-house. There were rats in 

 the walls, and " Mary Ann " had often seen 

 a rat in the room when she went in to dust, 

 and it had given her "such a turn." This 

 time I took all the dogs with me, and we 

 were followed by the lady of the house, four 

 dreadfully pretty daughters and " Mary 

 Ann." Madam and Mary Ann got on the 

 sofa, standing, and the four daughters stood 

 on four chairs round the room. All six 

 clasped their clothes tight round their ankles 

 — why, I never could think. This was the 

 only time in her life that I ever found Chance 

 a fool. Directly she got into the room, she 

 wriggled and twisted, turned her head this 

 way and that, threw herself on her back and 



