got darker, so that they could only just
find their way, step by step. And it really seemed as if they had
climbed a very long way, when from above came faintly and softly the
sound of a plaintive "mew." "Mew, mew," it said again, whoever the "it"
was, and then stopped.

The children looked at each other.

"Cats!" they said at the same instant.

"It's just as well," said Hugh, "that none of the animals did come with
us, as so many of them are birds."

Another step or two and the mystery was explained. They had reached the
top of the turret stair; it led them into a little hall, all, like the
great hall below, painted white. It looked perfectly pure and clean, as
if it had only been painted the day before, and yet there was a
curiously _old_ look about it too, and a faint scent of dried rose
leaves seemed to be in the air.

There was a door in this little hall, exactly opposite the top of the
stair, and at each side of the door was an arm-chair, also all white,
and with a white satin cushion instead of a seat. And on each of these
chairs sat a most beautiful white cat. The only colour in the hall was
the flash of their green eyes, as they turned them full on the two
children.

Jeanne crept a little closer to Hugh. But there was no reason for fear.
The cats were most amiably disposed.

"Mew!" said the one on the right-hand chair.

"Mew!" said the one on the left-hand chair.

Then they looked at each other for a moment, and at last, seeming to
have made up their minds, each held out his right paw. Something in the
way they did it reminded Hugh and Jeanne of Dudu when he stood on one
leg, and stuck out the other like a walking-stick.

"Mew!" they said again, both together this time. And then in a clear,
though rather mewey voice, the right-hand cat spoke to the children.

"Madame is expecting you," he said.

The children did not know what else to say, so they said, "Thank you."

"She has been waiting a good while," said the left-hand cat.

"I'm very sorry to have kept her waiting," said Hugh, feeling Jeanne
nudge him. "I hope she has not been waiting very long?"

"Oh no," said the right-hand cat, "not long; not above three hundred
years."

Jeanne gave a start of astonishment.

"Three hundred----" "years," she was going to say, but the left-hand cat
interrupted her.

"You are not to be surprised," he said, very hastily, and Jeanne could
not quite make out if he was frightened or angry, or a little of