t as Snub could not
attend me in my walks in the costume he wore when he left his native
place, I procured a complete livery-suit, in the fashion at Norsarque;
and Snub soon looked splendid in a dress of bottle-green, with white
buttons springing out all over his body, just like daisies on a lawn,
and, I assure you, with his hat surrounded with a broad gold band, and
his hair powdered, he looked a very different figure. Having thus cared
for his outer dog, I did what I could to improve his name; and scorning
to remember that he ever bore such a vulgar one as _Snub_, I made him
_Snubbini_ forthwith, and took care always to pronounce every letter
of the word. It was astonishing to observe the effect which these little
matters produced on my neighbours. They took me for a grand Cat at once;
and I overheard a Pussy, who was talking to another on the roof of the
house situated on the opposite side of the street where I lived, that
I was a foreign Princess in disguise, and was rich enough to buy half
Norsarque, if I felt inclined! But how they had learnt _that_ piece of
news, I could not imagine.

I had been residing some months among the restless inhabitants of
Norsarque, when an incident took place, which, although I thought but
little of it at the time, turned out of great importance to me.

I happened to be walking in one of the principal Squares, or _Places_
as they were called, when my ear was attracted by the sound of music.

Although the performers were not of the best, and their time was about
as good as their tune,--that is to say, both indifferent enough,--I
could not help stopping as I went by to see the show.

There were three mongrels, rather fantastically dressed, blowing all the
breath they could spare into two flageolets and a flute, but as one or
the other was forced to stop every now and then to recover his wind, and
always managed to do so in the most pathetic part, the effect was more
curious than agreeable. Several animals were standing round, and a
little wee Pup went about among them collecting, with a hat big enough
to hold a great deal more than was ever put into it. But the creature
who most attracted my attention was a huge lump of a Bear, with so ugly
a face that it made me quite shudder to look at him, who seemed the
master of the band, and held a tray up to the various windows where any
heads had been put out to listen to the music. He was in the act of
doing so, when I came up, to the window