AND HER CAT. 83

up a wall, He was now beyond the reach of the dogs, but
was not yet out of danger: if he did but slip, if his strength
forsook him, if the plaster of the wall should give way
beneath his claws, behold there were twenty open mouths
hungering for their prey, and ready to mangle him the
minute he fell.

Meanwhile Dame Mitchell had spent the night in tears
and sobs: she could not be comforted for the loss of Mow-
mouth; she was for ever calling on him in a voice of
lamentation; and (if the old song may be relied on) she
was heard to cry from the window, “ Who will restore him
to me?”

The next day, at the first blush of morning, the trea-
cherous Sharpphiz appeared before Dame Mitchell, and
said to her, “Well, my dear fellow-servant, have you
found him?”

“No, alas!” muttered she: “have you any tidings
respecting him ?”

“Nothing certain,” returned the butler, who only
wanted to tease the poor woman; “but I dreamt about
him the whole night. I saw him in my dream, pale and
wan, like a cat in very bad health.”

“ Where was it you saw him ?”

“T fancied he was in a garden, at the foot of a lilac-
tree.”

On hearing this Dame Mitchell ran out into the garden,
where, as you may guess, she did not find her missing
favourite. The whole of that day Sharpphiz took pleasure
ih deluding her with false expectations, which were of course
only followed by disappointments, which became more and
more bitter every time.

‘Dame Mitchell,” said he to her, “ just now, as I was
passing by the pantry door, I thought I heard the mewing
of a cat.”

Dame Mitchell hastened into the pantry, but saw no-
thing of her favourite.