THE CAT OF ANTIQUITY 19 



and, surfeited with cajolery, she sinks unconcern- 

 edly to sleep, until disturbed by the rude antics of 

 the young Commodus. 



" It was then that the host's son bethought him 

 of his own favourite animal, which had offended 

 somehow, and had been forbidden the banquet. — 

 ' I mean to shut you in the oven a while, little soft, 

 white thing!' he had said, catching sight, as he 

 passed an open doorway, of the great fire in the 

 kitchen, itself festally adorned, where the feast was 

 preparing ; and had so finally forgotten it. And it 

 was with a really natural laugh, for once, that, on 

 opening the oven, he caught sight of the animal's 

 grotesque appearance, as it lay there, half-burnt, 

 just within the red-hot iron door." 



That light, cruel, natural laugh echoes through 

 the centuries, and follows the cat along her pathway 

 of pain. Mr. Pater, fretted to pity by his own tale, 

 eliminated from later editions of " Marius " the 

 heart-rending episode he could so ill endure. Would 

 that it were as easy to banish from Pussy's history 

 the gloomy records of sorcery and persecution. 



