"Nothing, perchance," answered Stephen sadly. "Well! the good Lord knew best, and He ordered matters both for us and her." "Wigan said he thought she had been forewarned--I know not why." "Ay, I think some one must have given her a hint. That was why she sent us off so early." "I say, Stephen," asked Roscius rather uneasily, "what think you did become of that cat of hers? The thing was never seen after she died-- not once. It looks queer, you know." "Does it?" said Stephen, with a little laugh. "Why, yes! I don't want to think any ill of the poor old soul--not I, indeed: but never to be seen once afterwards--it _does_ look queer. Do you think Sathanas took the creature?" "Not without I am Sathanas. That terrible cat that so troubles you, Roscius, sits purring on my hearth at this very moment." "You! Why, did you take the thing with you?" "We did. It came away in Ermine's arms." "Eh, Saint Frideswide be our aid! I wouldn't have touched it for a king's ransom." "I've touched it a good few times," said Stephen, laughing, "and it never did aught worse to me than rub itself against me and mew. Why, surely, man! you're not feared of a cat?" "No, not of a real cat; but that--" "It is just as real a cat as any other. My children play with it every day; and if you'll bring your little maids, I'll lay you a good venison pasty that they are petting it before they've been in the house a Paternoster. Trust a girl for that! Ah, yes! that was one reason why I thought she had some fancy of what was coming--the poor soul begged us to take old Gib. He'd been her only companion for years, and she did not want him ill-used. Poor, gentle, kindly soul! Ermine will be grieved to hear of her end." "Tell Ermine I'll come to see her," said Leuesa, "and bring the children too." "We have a Derette as well as you," replied Stephen with a smile. "She is the baby. Our boys are Gerard and Osbert, and our elder girls Agnes and Edild--my mother's name, you know." As Stephen opened the door of his house that evening, Gib came to meet him with erect tail. "Well, old fellow!" said Stephen, rubbing his ears--a process to which Gib responded with loud purrs. "I have seen a man to-day who is afraid to touch you. I don't think you would do much to him--would you, now?" "That's nice--go on!" replied Gib, purring away. Leuesa lost no time in coming to see Ermine. She brought her two little girls, of whom the elder, aged five years, immediately fell in love with the baby, while the younger, aged three, being herself too much of a baby to regard infants with any sentiment but disdain, bestowed all her delicate attentions upon Gib. Stephen declared laughingly that he saw he should keep the pasty. "Well, really, it does look very like a cat!" said the mercer, eyeing Gib still a little doubtfully. "Very like, indeed," replied Stephen, laughing again. "I never saw anything that looked more like one."