THE CAT TRIUMPHANT 173 



more may give him an unconscious but irresistible 

 impulse towards home. 



"Anyhow, you and Mrs. Warren will not be found, 

 like the foolish virgins, with lamps without oil ; and, 

 besides, you may be sure of his giving you due warn- 

 ing. Having his bedroom all right, and the upstairs 

 room fit to be seen, no other preparation need be 

 made 'till the day and hour of his coming have been 

 announced to you by himself. I still hope that he 

 may not come 'till I myself am home first ; but, if 

 he should, there is one thing which you must attend 

 to, and which you would not think of without being 

 told. That cat ! I wish she were dead ! But I can't 

 shorten her days, because, you see, my poor, dear, 

 wee dog liked her. Well, there she is ! And as long 

 as she attends Mr. C. at his meals (and she does n't 

 care a sheaf of tobacco for him at any other time), 

 so long will Mr. C. continue to give her bits of meat 

 and driblets of milk, to the ruination of carpets and 

 hearthrugs ! I have over and over again pointed 

 out to him the stains she has made, but he won't 

 believe them her doings. And the dining-room 

 carpet was so old and ugly that it was n't worth 

 rows with one's husband about. Now, however, 

 that nice new cloth must be protected against the 

 cat abuse. So what I wish is that you would shut 

 up the creature when Mr. C. has breakfast, dinner, 

 ■or tea ; and, if he remarks on her absence, say it 



