8o THE FIRESIDE SPHINX 



she returns a selfish indifference. He describes 

 exquisitely and precisely the "gentle hypocrite," 

 with her irreproachable modesty of demeanour, her 

 soft sleek fur, her noiseless step, her air of min- 

 gled graciousness and dignity, her sleepy eySs half 

 shut, lest their gleam should betray the tigerish 

 soul within. This is the cat of La Fontaine, an 

 unworthy picture, drawn with consummate skill. 

 France accepted her without shadow of protest, 

 granting to her courage, her cunning, and her love- 

 liness, pardon for many sins. After all, these amia- 

 ble critics may have urged, we forgive Achilles 

 much, because he is brave ; Odysseus more, be- 

 cause he is acute ; Helen most of all, because she 

 is beautiful. Why then pass priggish judgment 

 upon a creature brave as Achilles, acute as Odys- 

 seus, beautiful as Helen ? She has the qualities of 

 her defects ; and these things are as the wise gods 

 ordain. We cannot mould her to our liking ; Mon- 

 taigne has told us so. She will not strive for our 

 approval, any more than she will toil for our con- 

 venience. " Libertas sine Lahore" She walks her 

 chosen path by our side ; but our ways are not her 

 ways, our influence does not remotely reach her. 

 Let us abandon the office of critic, where there is 

 no mutual standard for criticism. 



And so it was that Mme. la Duchesse de Bouillon 

 — true lover of cats and their most tender friend — ^ 



