t her claws. If I objected to her mice, she argued
that they were her natural food, and agreed with her; and so on through
all my attempts to reform her.

The little creature had generally an answer ready; and what was
peculiarly provoking to a person unused to contradiction, like myself,
she often disputed points upon which I had supposed there could be but
one opinion. When I was trying to shame her into being more like a dog,
she actually told me that she doubted whether mine really was the nobler
race, for that the lion was her chief, and she challenged me to show his
equal. This was the more irritating because I could not answer it; and I
take some credit to myself for having kept my temper on the occasion, as
I did feel tempted to give her a shake. Luckily it occurred to me that
quarrelling with people for being in the right would not put them in the
wrong, and that shaking them might not be the way to shake their
opinions. So I was silent, and pretended to be indulgent.

After all, the little cat had received an education extremely suitable
to her character and circumstances. Lily had made an in-door companion
of her, as she had made an out-door one of me, and had taken great pains
to cultivate her natural talents. Her manners were perfect. It was
impossible to be more gentle, graceful, and courteous than Puss. Always
at hand, but never in the way; quick in observing, but slow in
interfering; active and ready in her own work, but quiet and retiring
when not required to come forward; affectionate in her temper, and
regular in her habits,--she was a thoroughly feminine domestic
character.

She had her own ideas about me, which she communicated to me when we
were sufficiently intimate for her to speak openly. Perhaps she did not
admire me quite so much as I admired myself; but perhaps she was
right--who knows? I have heard that even among men, lookers-on are
sometimes the best judges. She did full justice to my strength and
courage, and applauded my daring way of rushing upon an enemy, without
regard to his size or position, instead of running into a corner and
spitting at him. She admitted, without hesitation, that mine was the
superior proceeding; but she suggested, that perhaps it might be as well
not to be quite so ready to attack other dogs before they had given me
any offence: also that it was unnecessary to suppose that every man who
came to the house _must_ have bad intentions, whether he gave me just
cau