Tommie reflected a moment. "Be pleasant, but not anxious. A lady with
an anxious expression has little chance of winning a lover! Don't
invite him too often; don't talk too much. Now I haven't hurt your
feelings, have I?"
"No, indeed," she said, for she was a young lady of good sense. "And
Tommie, dear, will you take these gold pieces to Mother Huldah. She was
so good to me when I was a little girl, and because I have been so
absorbed in my own affairs I haven't been to see her lately."
"That's the trouble with being in love," said Tommie, "it's apt to make
people selfish, and it should make them love and remember everybody. It
does when it's the real thing."
Little Clara clasped her hands earnestly. "I will come to see Mother
Huldah this afternoon," she said, "and bring her some cakes of my
own baking."
After Clara one person and another came up. Some asked foolish questions,
some wise. Some paid down money, others didn't, but the pile of gold and
silver at Tommie's feet grew steadily.
Now all novelties, even talking cats, soon cease to be novelties, and
towards afternoon when the villagers saw how much of their money lay at
Tommie's feet, some of them began to be discontented. Of these the tanner
was the ringleader, and he said to the other grumblers, "If we can get
that lying cat off the pump, we can then take his money. I have three big
rats in the trap at the tannery, and I know Tommie is starving hungry by
this time. We'll let 'em loose on the ground in front of the pump. When
he makes a spring one of you grab the money and run."
Now the tanner had guessed right. Tommie was hungry, but he was
determined to keep his post until sundown. After a while no more people
came, and he was just thinking he would take up the handkerchief by the
four corners and go home, when he espied a group of people approaching.
Suddenly, oh, me, oh, my! three dinners were scampering towards him, such
rats, such big, splendid rats in fine condition. Tommie had never used
such self-control in all his nine lives, but he sat tight and though his
whiskers showed his agitation he never budged.
The tanner was mad clear through, and he cried out, "He's a wizard; he
ought to be killed" because some people can't see others controlling
themselves without thinking there's something wrong with them. Then he
began to make snowballs and to pelt poor Tommie. Now Tommie, as has been
said, was a good dodger, but nevertheless when it rains snowballs it's
hard not to get hit. It might have fared badly with him had not some
knights and ladies at that moment appeared on the scene in the train of
the beautiful Princess Yolande, one of the fairest princesses in all the
realm. She rode a great white horse, and she was robed in cream velvet
and white furs, while about her slender waist was a girdle of gold set
with sapphires which were as blue as her eyes. By her side rode Lord
Mountfalcon. He was all in black armor, for he was mourning a brother who
had died in the distant war.
Love as well as grief filled his heart, for his dark eyes were
continually upon the beautiful Princess, who now reined in her horse and
cried out in a sweet voice, "Shame upon you men to hurt a poor cat."
"He is a wizard and he belongs to a witch," called out the tanner.
"O what a wicked lie," said Tommie. "I don't care what names you call me,
but my mistress is one of the best women in the land. She has come to
poverty in her old age. For her sake and to get her a little money, I've
sat here all day answering truthfully all questions. Now, dear Princess
Yolande, believe me, for I am a true cat."
The Princess was so astonished that she couldn't speak for a moment. At
last she turned to Lord Mountfalcon and said: "Truly, we have come to
wonderland. I'd rather believe the cat than the people who were pelting
him, and I have a mind to test his powers. Let us alight and ask him
questions."
Then they all dismounted and with the pages and the ladies and the
gentlemen in armor the scene was as gay as the stage of an opera.
Everybody chatted and laughed, and some of the court ladies stroked
Tommie's fur with their pretty white hands; and one took off her bracelet
and hung it about his neck.
But when the Princess Yolande went forward to ask her question, everyone
fell back. Then with sweet dignity, as became a princess, she stood
before Tommie and said, "Tell me if Lord Mountfalcon love me truly."
Tommie didn't wink, for he knew the ways of court, his grandfather having
been chief mouser to old King Adelbert; but he purred a warm good purr,
like a mill grinding out pure white grain.
"If the sky in heaven be blue,
Then Mountfalcon loves you true;
If the sun set in the West,
Lord Mountfalcon loves you best."
"You see," he added, "I'm not much of a poet, but those are the facts."
"Never was bad verse so sweet to me," cried the Princess and she put down
a whole bag of gold at Tommie's feet.
After her came Lord Mountfalcon himself with that sad grace of his, and
all his spirit shadowed with love and grief. "Sir Puss," he said, "shall
I wed ever the Princess Yolande?"
"Before there are violets in the vales of the kingdom," replied Tommie.
"Two saddlebags will not hold the gold I shall give thee," exclaimed
the nobleman.
"Bring them to the cottage where Mother Huldah lives," said Tommie. "And
I ask this further favor: When you leave this spot will you take me up
behind you and give this money to a page to convey; and so bring me
safely home with the wealth, for I fear mischief from the tanner."
"Most willingly," said Mountfalcon. "I will present your request to the
Princess."
After him all the court came with questions; so when the page advanced
to gather up the money the load was almost more than he could carry.
Then Tommie jumped down from his perch, and another page lifted him
safely on to the big warm back of Lord Mountfalcon's horse, which felt
fine and comforting to poor Tommie's feet. He was so tired that he took
forty winks after he had told the Princess how to reach the cottage of
Mother Huldah.
When he woke they were all in the dim forest and the Princess Yolande and
Lord Mountfalcon were talking in low tones like the whisper of the wind
through flowers; and it seemed as if their talk were all of love and
dreams and far-away griefs and tears that must fall.
At last they reined in their horses where Mother Huldah stood at her gate
peering into the forest. When she saw the beautiful lady and the noble
knight and Tommie on the horse's back, she cried out, "O bless you, Sir
Knight, for bringing him home."
"And I've brought a fortune with me, Mother Huldah," cried Tommie.
At this Mother Huldah looked troubled. "Gracious Lady," she addressed the
Princess, "I hope my cat has not been up to mischief."
"No, bless him," replied the Princess; then she told all that Tommie had
done. "And fear not to take the money, Mother," she added, "for those who
gave it did so of their free-will."
"Alas! I would not take it," sighed Mother Huldah, "had not my Rupert and
my Hugh died in the great war; and Rupert's wife went with him to the
Kingdom of the Brave Souls; and I expect Charlemagne to-night with their
little baby."
"Rupert? what Rupert?" asked Lord Mountfalcon, leaning down from
his horse.
"Rupert Gordon; I am Huldah Gordon, his bereaved mother!"
Then Mountfalcon removed his cap, alighted from his horse and bowed low
before Mother Huldah. "He died gloriously. He died trying to remove my
poor brother from danger," he said. "Now let me be as a son to you, for
sweet memory's sake."
[Illustration: CHARLEMAGNE BRINGS THE BABY TO MOTHER HULDAH]
Then they all wept softly, for even to hear of those battles and those
Silent Ones in the Kingdom of the Brave Souls was to behold the world
through tears. And the Princess Yolande alighted and kissed Mother
Huldah's hands and promised to visit her often.
So with many true words they parted at last, and Mother Huldah was left
alone with Tommie and the bags of gold and silver, which she took indoors
and then returned to scan the sky where now the white stars hung and a
thin half-circle of a moon. Tommie romped in the snow for the joy of
stretching his legs. After a while he said, "Listen, don't you hear
something, Mother Huldah?"
"I would I heard wings!" she cried.
"But I hear wings," said Tommie. "Watch! watch where the North
Star burns!"
So Mother Huldah watched, and soon she saw the great outspread wings
of Charlemagne and saw his long bill with something hanging from the
end of it.
"My word, here's the baby," called out Tommie. "Hello, Charlemagne, you
old Grandpa! have you kept that precious infant warm?"
But Charlemagne alighted on his feet and walked solemnly to Mother Huldah
and laid in her arms the softest, sweetest, pinkest little baby that she
had ever seen. There was golden down on its head, and its little hands
were folded like rosebuds beneath its tiny chin.
Mother Huldah felt its feet to know if they were warm; then she cried
and sobbed and held the little thing to her breast; and trembled for
love of it.
"Take it before the fire," said Tommie. "We're all tired to-night and
it will be good to drowse and dream. Good-night, Charlemagne. The
chimney's warm."
So the stork flew up to the roof, and Mother Huldah took her treasure and
held it in her warm, ample lap before the fire; and Tommie winked and
dozed and looked at the baby with his great green eyes, while Mother
Huldah sang:
"The gold of the world will fade away,
Baby sleep! Baby sleep!
But thou wilt live in my heart alway,
Sleep, my darling, sleep.
"The gold of the world it comes and goes,
Baby sleep! Baby sleep!
But thou wilt bloom like a summer rose,
Cease my soul to weep."