here ever had been. She was very glad of this, as
she by no means approved of a lot of other mice being there to interfere
with her and her husband. Mr. Mouse was equally pleased with what he
found.

The old lady who lived in the room was constantly having all kinds of
invalid messes, arrowroot, gruel, etc. There would have been quite
enough to eat from what she left alone; but besides all her eatables,
there was a large cage full of birds, that spattered their seed about in
all directions, and Mr. and Mrs. Mouse were very fond of bird seed. Then
there were always bread-crumbs about, and lumps of sugar; in fact, both
Mr. and Mrs. Mouse agreed in thinking that there had never been a place
so thoroughly fitted for them in every way. So, after examining the room
in every corner, and being quite satisfied, they both scampered off down
stairs again, and, avoiding the cat, got safely home.

Next day they set about moving, or rather next night, for they did
nothing all day but pack up their trunks and rest themselves before the
night came on. They worked very hard, and were all but settled in their
new home when the morning came.

Then Mrs. Mouse turned her husband out while she arranged the inside of
her house. She took great pains about their bedroom, which she filled up
with some rose leaves from a "pot-pourri" vase on the landing outside,
which made a deliciously soft bed to lie upon. At each corner, to make
the posts of the bed, she stuck a clove or bit of cinnamon, and to make
the curtains over the top and at the sides she robbed a spider's web,
which looked lovely. When she had finished all her arrangements she
called Mr. Mouse in, and when she heard his little squeaks and screams
of delight, she was fully satisfied. In the mean time he had brushed the
floor just outside with his tail till it was quite clean, and on it he
had spread their first meal in their new house. And what a good
breakfast it was! Bird seed of several kinds, bread-crumbs, a little bit
of arrowroot, some lumps of sugar, and as dessert he had with great
courage stolen a little piece of chocolate from the old lady's bedside.
They were very jolly in their new house; they had never felt so secure
anywhere before, and hoped they might now live in peace. After living
there some time they found out that the old lady was very fond of all
kinds of animals, and the idea of anything being killed was dreadfully
painful to her. She was not aware that a cat was