A ray of hope began to dawn upon me.  Perhaps a new and an even more luxurious home was to be offered for my acceptance.  In what foolish panic had I begun to identify myself with the needy classes of society?  A cat of my stripes and style!  Once more I thought of benevolent institutions from a patronizing point of view.  But I would be a patron, and a generous one.  The shock had done so much!  And the next time Mrs. Tabby called I would pick out a lot of my best bones for the Fund.

Meanwhile, I went back to the railings, and from these took a flying leap, and perched myself on the gentleman’s shoulder.  I could hardly have managed it from the ground, he had such very long legs.

I think, by the bye, that I have mentioned this before.  I do not wish to repeat myself, or to dwell on my grievance, though, if his legs had been shorter, his riding-boots would not have been so long, and I might at this moment know what became of—­but I must not forestall my story.

I jumped on to the gentleman’s shoulder.  In doing so, I knocked his hat over one eye.  But I have seen it so since then, and he made no complaint.  The man-servant opened the door, and we went into the house together.

CHAPTER II.

I flatter myself that my head is not remarkable for size and beauty alone.  I am a cat of mind, and I made it up at once as to the course of conduct to pursue.

I am also a cat with some powers of observation, and I have observed that two things go a long way with men—­flattery and persistence.  Also that the difficulty of coaxing them is not in direct proportion to their size—­rather the reverse.  Another thing that I have observed is, that if you want to be well-treated, or have a favour to ask, it is a great thing to have a good coat on your back in good order.

How many a human being has sleeked the rich softness of my magnificent tiger skin, and then said, in perfect good faith, “How Toots enjoys being stroked!”

“How you enjoy the feel of my fur, you mean,” I am tempted to say.  But I do not say it.  It doesn’t do to disturb the self-complacency of people who have the control of the milk-jug.

Having made up my mind to coax the gentleman into adopting me, I devoted myself entirely to him for the evening, and ignored the rest of the party, as serenely as a cat knows how.  Again and again did he put me down with firm, but not ungentle hands, saying—­“Go down, Toots,” and pick stray hairs in a fidgety manner off his dress-trousers; and again and again did I return to his shoulder (where he couldn’t see the hairs) and purr in his ear, and rub my long whiskers against his short ones.

But it was not till he was comfortably established in an arm-chair by the drawing-room fire, round which the rest of the family were also seated, that the charm began to work.

“How devoted Toots is to you!” purred the ladies, after an ineffectual effort on my part to share the arm-chair.