torn and she was holding
a handkerchief to her cheek, as though she had the tooth-ache. She
uttered terrible groans and was closely pursued by the Dog, who
overwhelmed her with bites, blows and kicks. The others rushed in
between them to separate them, but the two enemies continued to insult
and glare at each other. The Cat accused the Dog of pulling her tail
and putting tin tacks in her food and beating her. The Dog simply
growled and denied none of his actions:

"You've had some," he kept saying, "you've had some and you're going
to have some more!"

But, suddenly, he stopped and, as he was panting with excitement, it
could be seen that his tongue turned quite white: Light had told him
to kiss the Children for the last time.

"For the last time?" stammered poor Tylo. "Are we to part from these
poor Children?"

His grief was such that he was incapable of understanding anything.

"Yes," said Light. "The hour which you know of is at hand.... We are
going to return to silence...."

Thereupon the Dog, suddenly realizing his misfortune, began to utter
real howls of despair and fling himself upon the Children, whom he
loaded with mad and violent caresses:

"No! No!" he cried. "I refuse!... I refuse!... I shall always talk!...
And I shall be very good.... You will keep me with you and I shall
learn to read and write and play dominoes!... And I shall always be
very clean.... And I shall never steal anything in the kitchen
again...."

He went on his knees before the two Children, sobbing and entreating,
and, when Tyltyl, with his eyes full of tears, remained silent, dear
Tylo had a last magnificent idea: running up to the Cat, he offered,
with smiles that looked like grins, to kiss her. Tylette, who did not
possess his spirit of self-sacrifice, leaped back and took refuge by
Mytyl's side. Then Mytyl said, innocently:

"You, Tylette, are the only one that hasn't kissed us yet."

The Cat put on a mincing tone:

"Children," said she, "I love you both as much as you deserve."

There was a pause.

"And now," said Light, "let me, in my turn, give you a last kiss...."

As she spoke, she spread her veil round them as if she would have
wrapped them for the last time in her luminous might. Then she gave
them each a long and loving kiss. Tyltyl and Mytyl hung on to her
beseechingly:

"No, no, no, Light!" they cried. "Stay here with us!... Daddy won't
mind.... We will tell Mummy how kind you have been.... Where will you