"you shall have some." But I was
not yet in a position to make myself understood.

"Pussy's been sleepin' on your box all the afternoon, sir," said the
maid when I came in to tea. "I couldn't get her to come off; and when I
did turn her out of the room, I do believe she climbed up and got in
again by the winder."

"I don't mind at all," I said; "let her be there if she likes." And
indeed I felt quite grateful to the cat. I don't know that she could
have done much if there had been any attempt on the box, but I was sure
her intentions were good.

There was fish that evening, and she had a good deal of it. She did not
say much that I could follow, but chiefly sang songs without words.

* * * * *

Not to go over the preliminaries again, I did, when the proper time
came, touch my tongue with the contents of the third jar. I found that
it worked in this way: I could not hear what I was saying myself, when I
was talking to an animal: I only _thought_ the remark very clearly, and
then I felt my tongue and lips moving in an odd fashion, which I can't
describe. But with the small people in human shape it was different. I
spoke in the ordinary way to them, and though I dare say my voice went
up an octave or two, I can't say I perceived it.

The village was there again to-night, and the life going on in it seemed
much the same. I was set upon making acquaintance in a natural sort of
way with the people, and as it would not do to run any risk of
startling them, I just took my place near the window and made some
pretence of playing Patience. I thought it likely that some of the young
people would come and watch me, in spite of the fright they had had the
night before. And it was not long before I heard a rustling in the
shrubs under the window and voices saying:

"Is he in there? Can you see? Oh, I say, _do_ look out: you all but had
me over that time!"

They were suddenly quiet after this, and apparently one must have, very
cautiously, climbed up and looked into the room. When he got down again
there was a great fuss.

"No, is he really?" "What d'you say he was doing?" "What sort of charm?"
"I say, d'you think we'd better get down?" "No, but what is he really
doing?" "Laying out rows of flat things on the table, with marks on
them." "I don't believe it." "Well, you go and look yourself." "All
right, I shall." "Yes, but, I say, do look out: suppose you get shut in
and we're late