In this manner we proceeded pleasantly for many miles; I trotting steadily onwards, and Puss creeping behind the hedge at her usual stealthy pace. When prudence permitted, we enlivened our journey by various agreeable diversions. Sometimes on coming to a paling or a wall, Puss jumped up with her usual activity, and ran along the top. Occasionally we made a halt, while she climbed a pleasant tree, and I reposed on the grass under its shade. Or she would rest on a sunny bank, while I amused myself by watching any passing carriages and horses in the road. Once or twice we left the beaten path in search of water, but we were careful not to wander far out of our way. In going through one village, we observed some trellis-work on the gable end of a house, affording facilities of ascent quite irresistible to a cat of spirit. Puss was on the perpendicular wall in an instant, climbing hand over hand, or rather paw over paw, till she reached the roof. There she revelled in her favourite exaltation, and enjoyed herself thoroughly in darting over the slates, and making excursions up and down the chimney stacks. As there were several houses adjoining, she had the opportunity of a considerable promenade along the gutters, very satisfactory till she came to the end of the row; but there, unfortunately, she found no means of coming down again. There was no trellis; and a blank wall, without a single projection to afford a footing, was beyond even her dexterity. There was nothing to be done but to retrace her steps, I meanwhile running along the footpath, and looking up with some anxiety. But we were not obliged to go back very far. The middle house was an inn, with a sign-post before it, from which hung a picture of a red lion rampant,--an ugly beast, and far from royal. I thought I would have shaken him to pieces if he had been alive, but under present circumstances I was very glad to see him. Puss sprang from the roof to the cross-beam which supported him, and from thence easily scrambled down his post to the ground. Very glad I was to have her at my side again, and to make our way through the village unmolested. [Illustration: THE JOURNEY TO LONDON. Page 84] All these freaks had rather hindered us, as people cannot go out of their way for amusement without wasting more time than they reckon upon; and I now urged Puss to resist such temptations, and to keep up a steady walk on her side of the hedge. Not being able to climb myself, I had no sympathy with her great love of the art; and, in fact, I had sometimes considered her power of ascending heights, and finding footing in places inaccessible to me, as a fault in her character. But as I did not wish to be ill-natured and disagreeable, I indulged her taste, though believing it to be useless, if not dangerous, and often persuading her to keep to the beaten path in every thing.