'Don't be flippant, May,' said Beatrice, and Mr. Fox seemed to be wriggling on his chair, for it creaked. I suppose he didn't like her to make fun of mothers-in-law; but if his was like Mrs. Gilmour, it would be difficult to help it. Presently I looked out and saw that he had pulled his handkerchief out and then didn't seem to know what to do with it. Very soon, however, he began to put it to his mouth and I could hear him gasp. 'Do ring, May,' said Beatrice. 'I can see that Mr. Fox is dying for tea after his long drive.' 'Not at all,' Mr. Fox blurted out. 'Not at all. I never take tea, I--' 'Have a brandy and soda, then. Tom always does.' 'Mr. Fox looks quite pale,' said Mrs. Gilmour. 'The fact is,' said Mr. Fox, and his voice trembled, 'I am not very--I am afraid I cannot stop for tea to-day.' 'I am afraid you are not well, Mr. Fox. Last time you came I had the pleasure of pouring you out a very strong cup.' 'I know,' mumbled poor Mr. Fox. 'The heat'--it was drizzling snow and sleet at that very moment--'I want air. I feel I must leave you; the truth is, I am so unfortunately constituted'--here he simply gasped. 'I am convinced that there is a cat in the room.' 'There isn't, that I know of. But if there was--' 'I am sorry to say I am sure of it, from my ridiculous weakness. I have been subject to it from childhood. I cannot breathe--I feel positively faint if one of those animals is anywhere in my neighbourhood.' 'May, if your wretched cat is hidden under the sofa--hunt it out quick, or poor Mr. Fox will faint!' 'Please don't disturb your pet for me,' said poor Mr. Fox, politely. 'I had much better go. I am quite ashamed of myself.' But meantime Auntie May had lifted up the valance of the sofa, and I had walked out, given Mr. Fox one look, and sought the door which Auntie May opened for me respectfully. No vulgar shooing for me! She followed me out and took me in her arms. 'Never mind, you sweet little innocent lamb that never did harm to any one. Never mind what the silly man says. Go and have tea in the schoolroom, and behave, and don't get schoolroom manners, please--remember you are a drawing-room cat, and behave as such.' She opened the schoolroom door and shoved me in; she seemed in a great hurry to get back to the silly weak sort of man. I knew what she meant by schoolroom manners. Nobody could behave better than Rosamond, Amerye, or Kitty sometimes. When they were allowed to have tea in the drawing-room they made it a point of honour to be quite different, but in the schoolroom they had an idea that it didn't matter. They clawed large chunky slices of bread off the plate and buttered them with the butter-knife up in the air, as they weren't allowed to do when Beatrice was there, and drank 'giant drinks' till their cups were empty, looking at each other over the rim all the while and trying not to end with a sputter, as a syphon does.