ard his boots going weightily
along the pavement, and the screams also going along, rather ahead of
the policeman; and both the murder-screams and the policeman's boots
faded away in the remote distance.

Then Robert smacked his knickerbocker loudly with his palm, and said--

'Good old Phoenix! I should know its golden voice anywhere.'

And then every one understood how cleverly the Phoenix had caught at
what Robert had said about the real work of a policeman being to look
after murderers and thieves, and not after cats, and all hearts were
filled with admiring affection.

'But he'll come back,' said Anthea, mournfully, 'as soon as it finds the
murderer is only a bright vision of a dream, and there isn't one at all
really.'

'No he won't,' said the soft voice of the clever Phoenix, as it flew
in. 'HE DOES NOT KNOW WHERE YOUR HOUSE IS. I heard him own as much to a
fellow mercenary. Oh! what a night we are having! Lock the door, and let
us rid ourselves of this intolerable smell of the perfume peculiar
to the musk-rat and to the house of the trimmers of beards. If you'll
excuse me, I will go to bed. I am worn out.'

It was Cyril who wrote the paper that told the carpet to take away the
rats and bring milk, because there seemed to be no doubt in any breast
that, however Persian cats may be, they must like milk.

'Let's hope it won't be musk-milk,' said Anthea, in gloom, as she pinned
the paper face-downwards on the carpet. 'Is there such a thing as a
musk-cow?' she added anxiously, as the carpet shrivelled and vanished.
'I do hope not. Perhaps really it WOULD have been wiser to let the
carpet take the cats away. It's getting quite late, and we can't keep
them all night.'

'Oh, can't we?' was the bitter rejoinder of Robert, who had been
fastening the side door. 'You might have consulted me,' he went on. 'I'm
not such an idiot as some people.'

'Why, whatever--'

'Don't you see? We've jolly well GOT to keep the cats all night--oh, get
down, you furry beasts!--because we've had three wishes out of the old
carpet now, and we can't get any more till to-morrow.'

The liveliness of Persian mews alone prevented the occurrence of a
dismal silence.

Anthea spoke first.

'Never mind,' she said. 'Do you know, I really do think they're quieting
down a bit. Perhaps they heard us say milk.'

'They can't understand English,' said Jane. 'You forget they're Persian
cats, Panther.'

'Well,' said Anthea, rather sharply, fo