'
'But I don't know. You must make all inquiries of the cat. It was a
wise animal. It knew the time had come.'
'I think you're mad,' Christabel said.
'Animals are very strange,' Rose went on easily, 'and rats leave
sinking ships.'
A cry of terror came from Christabel. 'You mean I'm going to die!'
'No, no!' Rose became sane and reassuring. 'I never thought of that.
It might have known it was going to die itself and an animal likes to
die decently alone. It had been getting unhealthily fat.'
Christabel kept an exhausted silence, and Rose regretting her cruelty,
aware of its futility, said gently, 'Shall I get you a kitten?'
'No, no kitten. They jump about. The old cat was so quiet. And I miss
him.' A tear rolled down either cheek. 'It has been so lonely.
Everybody was away.'
'Well, we've all come back now,' Rose said.
'Yes, but that Henrietta--she's deserted me.'
'It was your own fault, Christabel. You horrified her.'
'It should have been you who did that.'
'Things don't always have the effect we hope for. You said too much.'
'Ah, but not half what I could have said.'
'Too much for Henrietta, anyhow. I don't think she will come again.'
Christabel smiled oddly and Rose knew that now she was to hear some
news. 'You can tell her,' Christabel said, 'that I shan't say anything
to upset her. I shall say nothing about you--as she loves you so much.
Does she love you? I dare say. You make people love you--for a little
while.
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