"Escaped I s'pose, oh! mighty 'Eavens! escaped from the Crystal Palace, or the Zoo, or a circus or somethink, oh, it ain't safe living in England! Blowed if I don't bolt the kitchen door, and nobody warned me or told me it was in the morning papers. Thank goodness I've taken in the milk, and them three eggs all spoiled. Only nine left now," moaned Cookie, "and cutlets and pancakes for lunch too." "Come, Chris," whispered Ridgwell. "You see we can't expect much support from Cookie." "No," agreed Christine, as they departed for the dining-room. "How about Mother? Let's hear what she says." "Yes," assented Ridgwell. "You see Mother is very nice and kind always to anybody who calls, and perhaps if she spoke to Lal and welcomed him a bit when he comes, he might feel at home at once." "I can't think where we are going to ask him to sit, can you, Ridgie? You see," explained Christine, "it's so inhospitable to leave him in the hall, and if he walks into the drawing-room and swishes his tail even contentedly, all the china would go over at once." "No, Chris, Lal is much too well mannered to do anything like that, but I'm afraid the only place for him will be the hearth-rug in front of the fire. Stop a minute, Chris, I've got it. Of course, the sofa in the drawing-room. Nobody must sit on the sofa at all to-day, then it will be all ready for him when he comes, and we shall only have to tuck him in a bit at the sides if he's too big." Matters were not much better understood in the drawing-room, for a lady visitor had just called and was waiting for Mother to come down. Mrs. Tallcat was a lady who always deemed it her duty to call once a week upon everybody, whether people wished to see her or whether they did not wish to see her. Had a census of opinion been taken concerning Mrs. Tallcat's calls, Mrs. Tallcat would have found, much to her astonishment no doubt, that she possessed very few votes, and no votes at all from children. "Would you very much mind if you didn't sit upon the sofa?" commenced Ridgwell gently. Mrs. Tallcat, always inclined towards huffiness at a moment's notice, consequently selected a chair. "Is the sofa likely to give way?" inquired Mrs. Tallcat suspiciously. "No," explained Christine, "it is because it is so strong and firm on its legs that we have chosen it." "I never allow _my_ boy to play upon the sofa," sniffed Mrs. Tallcat, as if she were referring to a piano. "It isn't to play upon," remarked Ridgwell, "but we are expecting a very, very solid visitor." Mrs. Tallcat sniffed for the second time. "I never allow my boy to make any remarks whatever upon visitors who call," responded Mrs. Tallcat icily. "Oh, Lal doesn't mind," said Christine cheerfully. "Who is Lal?" inquired Mrs. Tallcat, "a gentleman friend of your father's?" "No," said Ridgwell, "Lal is a lion, and Father doesn't know him yet."