The girl came up to the railing and gazed anxiously through at the corner of the only back fence she could perceive. "What a perfectly dreadful thing to happen!" she said in a voice not very steady. "It is exceedingly nice of you to help me catch Clarence. He is quite beside himself, poor lamb! You see, he has never before been in the city. I--I shall be distressed beyond m-measure if he is lost." "He went over those fences," said Brown, breathing faster. "I think I'd better go after him." "Oh--_would_ you mind? I'd be so very grateful. It seems so much to ask of you." "I'll do it," said Brown, firmly. "Every boy in New York has climbed back fences, and I'm only thirty." "It is most kind of you; but--but I don't know whether you could possibly get him to come to you. Clarence is timid with strangers." Brown had already clambered on to the wooden fence. He balanced himself there, astride. Whitewash liberally decorated coat and trousers. "I see him," he said. "W-what is he doing?" "Squatting on a trellis three back yards away." And Brown lifted a blandishing voice: "Here, Clarence--Clarence--Clarence! Here, kitty-- kitty--kitty! Good pussy! Nice Clarence!" "Does he come?" inquired the girl, peering wistfully through the railing. "He does not," said Brown. "Perhaps you had better call." "Here, puss--puss--puss--puss!" she began gently in that fascinating, crystalline voice which seemed to set tiny silvery chimes ringing in Brown's ears: "Here, Clarence, darling--Betty's own little kitty-cat!" "If he doesn't come to _that_," thought Brown, "he _is_ a brute." And aloud: "If you could only let him see you; he sits there blinking at me." "Do you think he'd come if he saw me?" "Who wouldn't?" thought Brown, and answered, calmly: "I think so.... Of course, you couldn't get up here." "I could.... But I'd better not.... Besides, I live only a few houses away--Number 161--and I _could_ go through into the back yard." "But you'd better not attempt to climb the fence. Have one of the servants do it; we'll get the cat between us then and corner him." "There are no servants in the house. It's closed for the summer--all boarded up!" "Then how can you get in?" "I have a key to the basement.... Shall I?" "And climb up on the fence?" "Yes--if I must--if it's necessary to save Clarence.... Shall I?" "Why can't I shoo him into your yard." "He doesn't know our yard. He's a country cat; he's never stayed in town. I was taking him with me to Oyster Bay.... I came down from a week-end at Stockbridge, where some relatives kept Clarence for us while we were abroad during the winter.... I meant to stop and get some things in the house on my way back to Oyster Bay.... Isn't it a perfectly wretched situation?... We--the entire family--adore Clarence--and--I-I'm so anxious----" Her fascinating underlip trembled, but she controlled it. "I'll get that cat if it takes a month!" said Brown. Then he flushed; he had not meant to speak so warmly.