th his hand upon her head.

The next morning he had more of a struggle than ever to wash and dress
her. Indeed at one time nothing but holding her by the scruff prevented
her from getting away from him, but at last he achieved his object and
she was washed, brushed, scented and dressed, although to be sure this
left him better pleased than her, for she regarded her silk jacket with
disfavour.

Still at breakfast she was well mannered though a trifle hasty with her
food. Then his difficulties with her began for she would go out, but as
he had his housework to do, he could not allow it. He brought her
picture books to divert her, but she would have none of them but stayed
at the door scratching it with her claws industriously till she had worn
away the paint.

At first he tried coaxing her and wheedling, gave her cards to play
patience and so on, but finding nothing would distract her from going
out, his temper began to rise, and he told her plainly that she must
wait his pleasure and that he had as much natural obstinacy as she had.
But to all that he said she paid no heed whatever but only scratched the
harder. Thus he let her continue until luncheon, when she would not sit
up, or eat off a plate, but first was for getting on to the table, and
when that was prevented, snatched her meat and ate it under the table.
To all his rebukes she turned a deaf or sullen ear, and so they each
finished their meal eating little, either of them, for till she would
sit at table he would give her no more, and his vexation had taken away
his own appetite. In the afternoon he took her out for her airing in the
garden.

She made no pretence now of enjoying the first snowdrops or the view
from the terrace. No--there was only one thing for her now--the ducks,
and she was off to them before he could stop her. Luckily they were all
swimming when she got there (for a stream running into the pond on the
far side it was not frozen there).

When he had got down to the pond, she ran out on to the ice, which would
not bear his weight, and though he called her and begged her to come
back she would not heed him but stayed frisking about, getting as near
the ducks as she dared, but being circumspect in venturing on to the
thin ice.

Presently she turned on herself and began tearing off her clothes, and
at last by biting got off her little jacket and taking it in her mouth
stuffed it into a hole in the ice where he could not get it. Then she
ran