ppy, and it
had everything it could want! What can have induced her to wander
away?"

"Cats are often uncertain things," Amuba said. "They are not like
dogs, who are always ready to follow their masters, and who will lie
down for hours, ready to start out whenever called upon."

"Yes, but Paucis was not a common cat, Amuba. It did not want to catch
mice and birds for a living. It had everything it could possibly
want--cushions to lie on, and fresh water and milk to drink, and
plenty of everything to eat."

"But even all that will not satisfy cats when the instinct to wander
comes upon them," Amuba said.

Ameres himself soon came out of the house, and, upon hearing that the
cat was not to be found either in the garden or within, gave orders
for the whole of the males of the household to sally out in the
search, to inform all the neighbors what had happened, and to pray
them to search their gardens. They were also to make inquiries of all
they met whether they had seen a cat resembling Paucis.

"This is a very serious matter," Ameres said. "After the choice of the
priest of Bubastes had fixed upon Paucis to be the sacred cat of the
temple of Bubastes, the greatest care and caution should have been
exercised respecting an animal toward whom all the eyes of Egypt were
turned. For the last two or three weeks the question as to which cat
was to succeed to the post of honor has been discussed in every
household. Great has been the excitement among all the families
possessing cats that had the smallest chance whatever of being
selected; and what will be said if the cat is not forthcoming when the
procession arrives to-morrow from Bubastes to conduct her there, I
tremble to think of. The excitement and stir will be prodigious, and
the matter will become of state importance. Well, do not stand here,
but go at once and join in the search."

"I felt horribly guilty when talking to Mysa," Chebron said. "Of
course she is very proud that Paucis was chosen for the temple, but I
know that she has really been grieving over the approaching loss of
her favorite. But of course that was nothing to what she will feel
when she finds that no news whatever can be obtained of the creature;
and it was hard to play the part and to pretend to know nothing about
it, when all the time one knew it was lying dead and buried in the
garden."

"Yes, I felt that myself," Amuba agreed, "but we cannot help it. Mysa
will probably in the course of her