THE CAT TO-DAY 299 



loving and domestic nature, spent all her evenings 

 contentedly by her master's side. This tranquil 

 life had lasted several years when, in an unhappy 

 hour, a widow rented the adjoining house. The 

 cat made incursions over the wall, was received 



^ with flattering attentions, and began to spend her 

 days under the gayer roof. These journeys mat- 

 tered little at first, as the unsuspicious gentleman, 

 who was away at his office from morning until 

 night, was well pleased to have his darling looked 

 after during his absence, and only demanded her 

 prompt appearance at dinner time. Soon, however, 

 Pussy refused to return in the evenings, and, when 

 brought forcibly back, sulked and glowered in cor- 

 ners until she could again escape. The widow aided 

 and abetted her in this unnatural conduct, firmly 

 maintaining that a cat of intelligence had a right to 

 choose her friends and her surroundings. There- 

 fore the deserted plaintiff, wounded in his tenderest 

 feelings, and unable — as in the good old days — 

 to charge his neighbour with bewitching his pet, 

 entered suit against her, and was liberally laughed 

 at for his pains. It is not only in the " Arabian 



. Nights," and in the merciless comedies of France, 

 that the inconstancy of the female heart has moved 

 the world to mirth. 



Yet, jest as we may, we know very well that those 

 men and women — few in numbers — who are en- 



