There is no place so conducive to reflection as the quiet of one's
bedchamber, when confined to it by sickness. It is true, when the
illness is violent, pain for the time excludes every thought beyond that
of the actual suffering,--for pain makes us all very, very selfish; but
when the bodily suffering is over, and our meditations come back into
their usual channel; when we are in a state of convalescence, and are
about shortly to resume our intercourse with the world, a crowd of
thoughts comes trooping from our brains, and we live over again much of
our former lives, and imagine beforehand scenes of our life to come.
At least it was so with me. When I had recovered from the fever into
which the disagreeable events related in the last Chapter had thrown me,
I ran over in my recollection everything that had occurred to me up to
the present time. I was again a thoughtless Kitten, gamboling on the
green, playing with my own tail, or resisting with all my might the
efforts of my poor mother to lick me clean! Again I wandered in the
fields with my young companions, clambered trees for birds, or hid
myself away in solitary places for stray rats! I once more hearkened to
my dead cousin's voice, as she warbled one of her pretty songs; and as
I still went on reflecting, I was again sitting in the arbour, listening
to the deep tones of Senhor Dickie, until the malicious face of my
neighbour's daughter, peering at us from the broken paling, broke in
upon my thoughts, and I heard the vile malicious screams and hisses of
the ill-bred Cats which had caused his abrupt departure and my present
confinement. It was a bitter recollection; and, as I recalled the scene,
I hid my face in my paws and mewed aloud.
As I got calmer I meditated upon what was best to be done. I would have
despised the reports of cruelty which I was sure were spread abroad
against me, and have continued my school, if my scholars had felt
inclined to resume their lessons; but as they had not come back after
the first day, that resource was denied me. Without some occupation, I
felt certain I could not bear the being at war with my neighbours; for
although I had done nothing unkind, they evidently believed I had; and
as there was no opportunity of convincing them of the truth, I suffered
just as much as if I had been guilty.
One road was yet open to me; and as I thought of it my eyes brightened
up, and a low purr of satisfaction unconsciously broke from my bosom--I
could travel! This idea had no sooner entered my head than it took
entire possession of me, and drove everything else out of my thoughts.
I wished to be at once well and strong, in order to carry out my
new-formed resolution. The prospect of a speedy change, and the thought
of seeing new countries and other animals, produced at once a favourable
effect, and not many days elapsed before I was able to sit up and resume
some of my usual habits.
I did not venture into the garden, for fear of again exciting the
remarks of my rude neighbours; but I sat by the door, and looked out
upon the green trees, and the blue sky, and the lively birds, with a
delight I cannot describe.
How beautiful does all nature seem after we have been deprived for some
time, by illness, of the pleasure of looking upon it! How delicious is
the air! how sweet the perfume of the flowers! and how agreeable to the
sense the hum of each fly as it basks in the sunshine, cleaning its
glittering wings, or darts in and out and round and round in chase of
some companion! It is worth being ill, to enjoy such pure happiness, and
to feel the gratitude which gushes up from our hearts at being permitted
to see again the loveliness of creation.
It has been said by more than one animal, that Cats are such selfish
creatures that they are envious of the enjoyments of others, and can
feel no pleasure beyond their own particular gratifications. I deny that
this is the truth. I, a Cat, boldly affirm, in defence of my tribe, that
they are capable of as strong and unselfish affections as those of any
other beasts; and although, as my cousin told me, when in the service of
man they display a different character, such character must not be
considered as their true one, but rather forced upon them by their state
of servitude and the want of confidence reposed in them. Even under such
disadvantageous circumstances, I have heard that they often discover
traits of kindness and fidelity, and receive many slights and insults
with a patience which would do honour to their masters themselves.
As I had no one to consult about my departure, or the day I should set
forth, I was not interrupted in my preparations, for I was too anxious
myself to obtain a change of scene, to have any delay when I once began
my arrangements.
My house was put in order; my box was packed; my servants received their
instructions, and were put on board-wages till my return. I promised
to write to them when an opportunity offered, to inform them of my
adventures, and let them know my opinions concerning the manners of
foreign countries.
[Illustration: BON VOYAGE!]
The morning at length arrived when I was to take my departure. Dressed
in my second-best clothes, with a parasol in one paw,--for the sun was
hot,--and with my travelling-bag, containing a few necessaries, in the
other, I ventured into the streets for the first time since that
memorable evening. A stout cur, whom I had hired as a valet to accompany
and protect me, walked behind me with my trunk upon his head; and as I
turned from the door I perceived my servants, and some other Cats whom I
had at times assisted, watching me as I went, and bidding me a mournful
adieu. I was affected by their gestures, and should have been more so,
but that I was still in sight of my neighbours' dwellings, and was
apprehensive of some disagreeable remarks. Fortunately none of them were
visible. I passed their houses; I got out of the very street, but not
till I had stopped at the corner and given a quiet mew to the villa
where I had spent so many pleasant days, and which I was now leaving
perhaps for ever. We moved on through the Cats' quarter, across one or
two streets inhabited by the Dogs, and out into the open country. We
soon left behind us the few straggling houses which were at the entrance
of the town, and, mounting a hill, paused when we had gained the summit,
partly to give a last look at the city, but more to rest my companion,
who declared that his legs would never get straight again from the heavy
burden which had bent them down, and that the rope with which the box
was tied was positively cutting his head in two.
I reclined upon a grassy bank, and nibbled a few blades while deep in
thought; but my valet, "Snub," made a more substantial use of his time;
for, squatting himself down on his own hat, with his legs under him, to
my horror he pulled out a half-devoured bone, which he began to gnaw
with much appetite. I did not think this very becoming conduct in the
valet of a genteel Pussy; but as it was not the time to find fault,
I allowed him to pick his bone, and gazed long and tenderly upon that
city where I had been born and brought up, and which I was now leaving
for strange climes, and for the society of animals of whose very
language I was perhaps ignorant.
We now descended the hill, Snub carrying the box with a little more
comfort to himself, having placed his hat between the sharp cord and
his own broad, flat head; and on reaching the bottom we found that an
extensive wood lay before us, without any trace which seemed to show
there was a high-road through it. While stopping to consult what was the
best course to take, an animal came from behind a large tree, and with
many bows advanced towards us. His appearance startled me not a little,
for I could not at first make out who or what he was. I at length
discovered that he was a Fox, a tribe distantly related to the Dogs, but
so little liked by them that very few ever came into Caneville, and
those who did so, clipped their ears and trimmed their tails so as to
alter their look as much as possible to the animals among whom they
presented themselves. This Fox, on the contrary, wore all his native
luxuriance of fur, and, by the way he carried his great brush of a tail,
seemed not a little proud of it.
When he got within a few steps of us, he addressed me in broken
Caneville dialect, and offered his services to show me the way through
the wood. "It was a short cut," he said, "and would save me a good deal
of ground, which I should be obliged to go over if I went round the
forest."
Without paying attention to the nods or winks of Snub, which were
however so violent as almost to upset his load, I accepted his polite
offer with thanks, and bidding my valet, who walked very glumpily
behind, to keep close by, I followed my polite guide, who at once
entered a little path through two tall trees.
The shade grew thicker as we advanced, and I observed that the path
got not only narrower, but was in some places almost invisible. It was
evidently very little used, and unaccustomed as I had been of late to
the country, I did not feel quite comfortable in thus penetrating deeper
and deeper into the solitude; still I did not like to show any fear,
more particularly as I was rather annoyed at the conduct of Snub, who,
close behind me with the box upon his head, kept grumbling at its weight
one minute, and actually growling in an under-tone at our guide the
next.
The conduct of that guide did not exactly please me; for in his evident
wish to prevent my being alarmed, he kept chatter, chatter, chatter,
with all his might, and still went on, his sharp eyes here, there, and
everywhere at once, in a most disagreeable manner.
We at last reached an open space, covered over with grass, and here and
there strewn with immense masses of rock. The overhanging branches of
the trees were, however, so closely intertwined, that no ray of sun, and
very little light, could penetrate into it. Here I stopped short and
declared I would go no further; an exclamation which seemed to arouse
Mr. Fox's anger, for he came towards me with a threatening look that
alarmed me not a little. I stepped back to avoid him, when Snub--as if
by accident, although I felt sure the good dog knew perfectly well what
he was about--by a dexterous stumble pitched the box off his head right
against the Fox. It was only by the greatest agility that he avoided the
heavy weight falling on and crushing him; as it was, he could not get
his long tail out of the way in time, for the box came plump down upon
it and nailed him to the ground in the most effectual manner. In vain he
screamed and pulled; the weight was heavier than he could get rid of;
and the more he pulled and screamed, the greater was Snub's delight, who
capered round him, wagging his own tail with wonderful swiftness in the
intensity of his satisfaction.
After having kept him a prisoner for a good hour, and forced him to
confess that he had led us into the wood with the intention of robbing
us, and even worse, Snub cut a piece of cord from off the box and tying
it round Mr. Fox's neck, and then fast to the trunk again, lifted the
latter on to his head, and ordered the treacherous guide, under penalty
of instant death, to lead us back at once to the place we had started
from. The wounded beast was forced to obey; so taking his mutilated tail
in his paw, with a thousand apologies,--to which Snub made no other
reply than to bid him to "look sharp" (a very unnecessary piece of
advice, as his face could scarce have been sharper than it was), and to
which I made no answer at all,--he walked on in front of us, keeping at
as great a distance from his tormentor as the length of the cord would
allow him.
We reached, after some time, the place where we had entered the wood,
when Snub, advising our polite conductor to be more honest for the
future, undid the knot which bound him to the trunk and set him again
at liberty. The Fox no sooner found himself free, than, with a cry of
satisfaction, anger, and defeated wickedness, he darted back among the
trees, and was instantly out of sight.