the happy consciousness of being her successful champion.

I required a little rest after my exertions; but before long we were on
the move again, and met with no further impediments till we arrived at
our resting-place for the night. This was under the shelter of an empty
barn, rather infested by rats, so that Puss found both food and lodging.
Tastes differ: I was glad of a comfortable roof and a warm corner; but
though Puss pressed me to partake of her provision, I preferred going
without a meal for once in my life to sharing a rat.

We were up and dressed time enough for the rising sun to meet us on our
road. I have few more "incidents of travel" to recount; indeed, beyond a
little difficulty in crossing a puddle or two without wetting my
comrade's feet, or dirtying her white stockings, we arrived at the
outskirts of London without hindrance.

But I feared that it would not be so easy to creep unobserved through
the busy streets, and I grew very uncomfortable when I found myself and
my companion in the midst of the throng. I was anxious to conceal my
fears from Puss, lest I should alarm her also; but her penetration saw
through my forced cheerfulness, and obliged me to confess my
apprehensions. True to her determination of making the best of every
thing, she was more courageous than I. With her usual good sense, she
pointed out to me that the greater the surrounding numbers, the better
the chance of any individuals passing unnoticed; that it was the idle
who hindered or molested others; and that this multitude of people,
intent upon objects of their own, would have neither time nor
inclination to annoy us.

"I know by experience, my dear Captain," continued she, "that when I am
properly occupied with my own rats, I have no temptation to interfere
with my neighbour's mice. It is when I have been sitting too long
purring in the sunshine with nothing to do, that I am in danger of being
mischievous or troublesome."

"True," I answered; "I can bear witness to that myself: and I am not
afraid of the industrious people, if they noticed us, it would be
kindly. But these are not _all_ busy,--some may be at leisure to worry
us; and I scarcely know how we are to pass unobserved; I fear we are
very remarkable. At home you know how much was said about us."

"Yes, _at home_," she replied, with a significant curl of her whiskers,
"but at home we stood alone; there was no one to compare us with. I
fancy that many are thought