r to see these things from the point
of view of both the persons concerned. To Maurice, scissors in hand,
alive and earnest to snip, it seemed the most natural thing in the world
to shorten the stiff whiskers of Lord Hugh Cecil by a generous inch. He
did not understand how useful those whiskers were to Lord Hugh, both in
sport and in the more serious business of getting a living. Also it
amused Maurice to throw Lord Hugh into ponds, though Lord Hugh only
once permitted this liberty. To put walnuts on Lord Hugh's feet and then
to watch him walk on ice was, in Maurice's opinion, as good as a play.
Lord Hugh was a very favourite cat, but Maurice was discreet, and Lord
Hugh, except under violent suffering, was at that time anyhow, dumb.

But the empty sardine-tin attached to Lord Hugh's tail and hind
legs--this had a voice, and, rattling against stairs, banisters, and the
legs of stricken furniture, it cried aloud for vengeance. Lord Hugh,
suffering violently, added his voice, and this time the family heard.
There was a chase, a chorus of 'Poor pussy!' and 'Pussy, then!' and the
tail and the tin and Lord Hugh were caught under Jane's bed. The tail
and the tin acquiesced in their rescue. Lord Hugh did not. He fought,
scratched, and bit. Jane carried the scars of that rescue for many a
long week.

When all was calm Maurice was sought and, after some little natural
delay, found--in the boot-cupboard.

'Oh, Maurice!' his mother almost sobbed, 'how _can_ you? What will your
father say?'

Maurice thought he knew what his father would do.

'Don't you know,' the mother went on, 'how wrong it is to be cruel?'

'I didn't mean to be cruel,' Maurice said. And, what is more, he spoke
the truth. All the unwelcome attentions he had showered on Lord Hugh had
not been exactly intended to hurt that stout veteran--only it was
interesting to see what a cat would do if you threw it in the water, or
cut its whiskers, or tied things to its tail.

'Oh, but you must have meant to be cruel,' said mother, 'and you will
have to be punished.'

'I wish I hadn't,' said Maurice, from the heart.

'So do I,' said his mother, with a sigh; 'but it isn't the first time;
you know you tied Lord Hugh up in a bag with the hedgehog only last
Tuesday week. You'd better go to your room and think it over. I shall
have to tell your father directly he comes home.'

Maurice went to his room and thought it over. And the more he thought
the more he hated Lord H