We suppose that more cats disappear from the domestic hearth in
February than in any other month. The gamekeeper may or may not know
more about this than he will admit--it is certain that the cats go, and
it is true that many of them turn up again. Whatever the February fate
of the cat, the nearest keeper to its home bears the blame of having
spirited it away. He may deny all--that he knows anything about the cat
or its colour or its fate--but the more he denies the more strongly
will he be suspected, the more furiously accused. One old keeper
met all inquiries about the departure of cats with this sound piece
of wisdom: "If ye makes 'em bide at 'ome, there won't be no need for
wantin' 'em to come back."
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