It was not very long before Christmas that an acquaintance of the old gentleman’s came to his rooms on business. He knew a great deal about all sorts of animals and loved them for their own sakes, but of course he had never talked to the old gentleman about them, because he knew he did not love anything. But when he saw the grey cat, he said at once— “Do you know that this is a very valuable creature, and I should think would be worth a great deal?” At these words the old gentleman’s heart beat high. Here, he thought, would be a piece of great luck if a stray cat could make him richer than he was before. “Why, who would want to buy it?” he said. “I don’t know anybody who would be so foolish as to give any money for a cat which is of no use in life except to catch mice, when you can so easily get one for nothing.” “Ah, but many people are very fond of cats, and would give much for rare sorts like this. If you want to sell it, the right thing would be to send it to the Cat Show, and there you would most likely take a prize for it, and then some one would be sure to buy it, and, it may be, would give a great deal. I don’t know what kind it is, or where it comes from, for I have never seen one the least like it, but for that reason it is very sure to be valuable.” Upon this the old gentleman almost laughed with joy. “Where is the Cat Show?” he asked; “and when is it to be held?” “There will be a Cat Show in this city quite soon,” said his acquaintance; “and it will be a particularly good one, for the new Princess is quite crazy about cats, and she is coming to it, and it is said that she doesn’t mind what she gives for a cat if she sees one she likes.” So then he told the old gentleman how he should send his name and the cat’s name to the people who managed the show, and where it was to be held, and went away, leaving the old gentleman well pleased, but to himself he laughed and said, “I don’t think that old man thinks of anything on earth but making money. How pleased he was at the idea of selling that beautiful cat if he could get something for it!” When he had gone, the grey puss came and rubbed itself about his master’s legs, and looked up in his face as though it had understood the conversation, and did not like the idea of being sent to the show. But the old gentleman was delighted, and sat by the fire and mused on what he was likely to get for the cat, and wondered if it would not take a prize. “I shall be sorry to have to send it away,” he said; “still, if I could get a good round sum of money it would be a real sin not to take it, so you will have to go, puss; and it really was extraordinary good luck for me that you ever came here.”