novel notes-第22节

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greeted　with　enthusiasm；　and　every　means　were　adopted　to　induce　him　to　stay。　　His　little　whims　were　carefully　studied；　his　favourite　dishes　kept　in　constant　readiness。

〃The　destination　of　his　goings　leaked　out　at　length；　and　then　the　two　families　quarrelled　about　him　over　the　fence。　　My　friend　accused　the　newspaper　man　of　having　lured　him　away。　　The　newspaper　man　retorted　that　the　poor　creature　had　come　to　his　door　wet　and　starving；　and　added　that　he　would　be　ashamed　to　keep　an　animal　merely　to　ill…treat　it。　　They　have　a　quarrel　about　him　twice　a　week　on　the　average。　　It　will　probably　come　to　blows　one　of　these　days。〃

Jephson　appeared　much　surprised　by　this　story。　　He　remained　thoughtful　and　silent。　　I　asked　him　if　he　would　like　to　hear　any　more；　and　as　he　offered　no　active　opposition　I　went　on。　　（Maybe　he　was　asleep；　that　idea　did　not　occur　to　me　at　the　time。）

I　told　him　of　my　grandmother's　cat；　who；　after　living　a　blameless　life　for　upwards　of　eleven　years；　and　bringing　up　a　family　of　something　like　sixty…six；　not　counting　those　that　died　in　infancy　and　the　water…butt；　took　to　drink　in　her　old　age；　and　was　run　over　while　in　a　state　of　intoxication　（oh；　the　justice　of　it！　）　by　a　brewer's　dray。　　I　have　read　in　temperance　tracts　that　no　dumb　animal　will　touch　a　drop　of　alcoholic　liquor。　　My　advice　is；　if　you　wish　to　keep　them　respectable；　don't　give　them　a　chance　to　get　at　it。　　I　knew　a　pony　But　never　mind　him；　we　are　talking　about　my　grandmother's　cat。

A　leaky　beer…tap　was　the　cause　of　her　downfall。　　A　saucer　used　to　be　placed　underneath　it　to　catch　the　drippings。　　One　day　the　cat；　coming　in　thirsty；　and　finding　nothing　else　to　drink；　lapped　up　a　little；　liked　it；　and　lapped　a　little　more；　went　away　for　half　an　hour；　and　came　back　and　finished　the　saucerful。　　Then　sat　down　beside　it；　and　waited　for　it　to　fill　again。

From　that　day　till　the　hour　she　died；　I　don't　believe　that　cat　was　ever　once　quite　sober。　　Her　days　she　passed　in　a　drunken　stupor　before　the　kitchen　fire。　　Her　nights　she　spent　in　the　beer　cellar。

My　grandmother；　shocked　and　grieved　beyond　expression；　gave　up　her　barrel　and　adopted　bottles。　　The　cat；　thus　condemned　to　enforced　abstinence；　meandered　about　the　house　for　a　day　and　a　half　in　a　disconsolate；　quarrelsome　mood。　　Then　she　disappeared；　returning　at　eleven　o'clock　as　tight　as　a　drum。

Where　she　went；　and　how　she　managed　to　procure　the　drink；　we　never　discovered；　but　the　same　programme　was　repeated　every　day。　　Some　time　during　the　morning　she　would　contrive　to　elude　our　vigilance　and　escape；　and　late　every　evening　she　would　come　reeling　home　across　the　fields　in　a　condition　that　I　will　not　sully　my　pen　by　attempting　to　describe。

It　was　on　Saturday　night　that　she　met　the　sad　end　to　which　I　have　before　alluded。　　She　must　have　been　very　drunk；　for　the　man　told　us　that；　in　consequence　of　the　darkness；　and　the　fact　that　his　horses　were　tired；　he　was　proceeding　at　little　more　than　a　snail's　pace。

I　think　my　grandmother　was　rather　relieved　than　otherwise。　　She　had　been　very　fond　of　the　cat　at　one　time；　but　its　recent　conduct　had　alienated　her　affection。　　We　children　buried　it　in　the　garden　under　the　mulberry　tree；　but　the　old　lady　insisted　that　there　should　be　no　tombstone；　not　even　a　mound　raised。　　So　it　lies　there；　unhonoured；　in　a　drunkard's　grave。

I　also　told　him　of　another　cat　our　family　had　once　possessed。　　She　was　the　most　motherly　thing　I　have　ever　known。　　She　was　never　happy　without　a　family。　　Indeed；　I　cannot　remember　her　when　she　hadn't　a　family　in　one　stage　or　another。　　She　was　not　very　particular　what　sort　of　a　family　it　was。　　If　she　could　not　have　kittens；　then　she　would　content　herself　with　puppies　or　rats。　　Anything　that　she　could　wash　and　feed　seemed　to　satisfy　her。　　I　believe　she　would　have　brought　up　chickens　if　we　had　entrusted　them　to　her。

All　her　brains　must　have　run　to　motherliness；　for　she　hadn't　much　sense。　　She　could　never　tell　the　difference　between　her　own　children　and　other　people's。　　She　thought　everything　young　was　a　kitten。　　We　once　mixed　up　a　spaniel　puppy　that　had　lost　its　own　mother　among　her　progeny。　　I　shall　never　forget　her　astonishment　when　it　first　barked。　　She　boxed　both　its　ears；　and　then　sat　looking　down　at　it　with　an　expression　of　indignant　sorrow　that　was　really　touching。

〃You're　going　to　be　a　credit　to　your　mother；〃　she　seemed　to　be　saying　〃you're　a　nice　comfort　to　any　one's　old　age；　you　are；　making　a　row　like　that。　　And　look　at　your　ears　flopping　all　over　your　face。　I　don't　know　where　you　pick　up　such　ways。〃

He　was　a　good　little　dog。　　He　did　try　to　mew；　and　he　did　try　to　wash　his　face　with　his　paw；　and　to　keep　his　tail　still；　but　his　success　was　not　commensurate　with　his　will。　　I　do　not　know　which　was　the　sadder　to　reflect　upon；　his　efforts　to　become　a　creditable　kitten；　or　his　foster…mother's　despair　of　ever　making　him　one。

Later　on　we　gave　her　a　baby　squirrel　to　rear。　　She　was　nursing　a　family　of　her　own　at　the　time；　but　she　adopted　him　with　enthusiasm；　under　the　impression　that　he　was　another　kitten；　though　she　could　not　quite　make　out　how　she　had　come　to　overlook　him。　　He　soon　became　her　prime　favourite。　　She　liked　his　colour；　and　took　a　mother's　pride　in　his　tail。　　What　troubled　her　was　that　it　would　cock　up　over　his　head。　　She　would　hold　it　down　with　one　paw；　and　lick　it　by　the　half…hour　together；　trying　to　make　it　set　properly。　　But　the　moment　she　let　it　go　up　it　would　cock　again。　　I　have　heard　her　cry　with　vexation　because　of　this。

One　day　a　neighbouring　cat　came　to　see　her；　and　the　squirrel　was　clearly　the　subject　of　their　talk。

〃It's　a　good　colour；〃　said　the　friend；　looking　critically　at　the　supposed　kitten；　who　was　sitting　up　on　his　haunches　combing　his　whiskers；　and　saying　the　only　truthfully　pleasant　thing　about　him　that　she　could　think　of。

〃He's　a　lovely　colour；〃　exclaimed　our　cat　proudly。

〃I　don't　like　his　legs　much；〃　remarked　the　friend。

〃No；〃　responded　his　mother　thoughtfully；　〃you're　right　there。　　His　legs　are　his　weak　point。　　I　can't　say　I　think　much　of　his　legs　myself。〃

〃Maybe　they'll　fill　out　later　on；〃　suggested　the　friend；　kindly。

〃Oh；　I　hope　so；〃　replied　the　mother；　regaining　her　momentarily　dashed　cheerfulness。　　〃Oh　yes；　they'll　come　all　right　in　time。　　And　then　look　at　his　tail。　　Now；　honestly；　did　you　ever　see　a　kitten　with　a　finer　tail？〃

〃Yes；　it's　a　good　tail；〃　assented　the　other；　〃but　why　do　you　do　it　up　over　his　head？〃

〃I　don't；〃　answered　our　cat。　　〃It　goes　that　way。　　I　can't　make　it　out。　　I　suppose　it　will　come　straight　as　he　gets　older。〃

〃It　will　be　awkward　if　it　don't；〃　said　the　friend。

〃Oh；　but　I'm　sure　it　will；〃　replied　our　cat。　　〃I　must　lick　it　more。　It's　a　tail　that　wants　a　good　deal　of　licking；　you　can　see　that。〃

And　for　hours　that　afternoon；　after　the　other　cat　had　gone；　she　sat　trimming　it；　and；　at　the　end；　when　she　lifted　her　paw　off　it；　and　it　flew　back　again　like　a　steel　spring　over　the　squirrel's　head；　she　sat　and　gazed　at　it　with　feelings　that　only　those　among　my　readers　who　have　been　mothers　themselves　will　be　able　to　comprehend。

〃What　have　I　done；〃　she　seemed　to　say〃what　have　I　done　that　this　trouble　should　come　upon　me？〃

Jephson　roused　himself　on　my　completion　of　this　anecdote　and　sat　up。

〃You　and　your　friends　appear　to　have　been　the　possessors　of　some　very　remarkable　cats；〃　he　observed。

〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃our　family　has　been　singularly　fortunate　in　its　cats。〃

〃Singularly　so；〃　agreed　Jephson；　〃I　have　never　met　but　one　man　from　whom　I　have　heard　more　wonderful　cat　talk　than；　at　one　time　or　another；　I　have　from　you。〃

〃Oh；〃　I　said；　not；　perhaps　without　a　touch　of　jealousy　in　my　voice；　〃and　who　was　he？〃

〃He　was　a　seafaring　man；〃　replied　Jephson。　　〃I　met　him　on　a　Hampstead　tram；　and　we　discussed　the　subject　of　animal　sagacity。

〃'Yes；　sir；'　he　said；　'monkeys　is　cute。　　I've　come　across　monkeys　as　could　give　points　to　one　or　two　lubbers　I've　sailed　under；　and　elephants　is　pretty　spry；　if　you　can　believe　all　that's　told　of　'em。　I've　heard　some　tall　tales　about　elephants。　　And；　of　course；　dogs　has　their　heads　screwed　on　all　right：　　I　don't　say　as　they　ain't。　But　what　I　do　say　is：　　that　for　straightfor'ard；　level…headed　reasoning；　give　me　cats。　　You　see；　sir；　a　dog；　he　thinks　a　powerful　deal　of　a　mannever　was　such　a　cute　thing　as　a　man；　in　a　dog's　opinion；　and　he　takes　good　care　that　everybody　knows　it。　　Naturally　enough；　we　says　a　dog　is　the　most　intellectual　animal　there　is。　　Now　a　cat；　she's　got　her　own　opinion　about　human　beings。　　She　don't　say　much；　but　you　can　tell　enough　to　make　you　anxious　not　to　hear　the　whole　of　it。　　The　consequence　is；　we　says　a　cat's　got　no　intelligence。　　That's　where　we　let　our　prejudice　steer　our　judgment　wrong。　　In　a　matter　of　plain　common　sense；　there　ain't　a　cat　living　as　couldn't　take　the　lee　side　of　a　dog　and　fly　round　him。　　Now；　have　you　ever　noticed　a　dog　at　the　end　of　a　chain；　trying　to　kill　a　cat　as　is　sitting　washing　her　face　three…quarters　of　an　inch　out　of　his　reach？　　Of　course　you　have。　　Well；　who's　got　the　sense　out　of　those　two？　　The　cat　knows　that　it　ain't　in　the　nature　of　steel　chains　to　stretch。　　The　dog；　who　ought；　you'd　think；　to　know　a　durned　sight　more　about　'em　than　she　does；　is　sure　they　w