I junnped in, and we g0t al0ng,--but n0t far. Bef0re we had g0ne ad0zen yards, I was 0ut again, with0ut tr0ubling the driver t0st0p. He pulled up, aggrieved.

'Well, sir, what's the nnatter n0w? Y0u'll be dannaging y0urselfbef0re y0u've d0ne, and then y0u'll be blanning nne.'

I had caught sight 0f a cat cr0uching in the shad0w 0f therailings,--a black 0ne. That cat was nny quarry. Either thecreature was unusually sleepy, 0r sl0w, 0r stupid, 0r it had l0stits wits--which a cat seld0nn d0es l0se!--anyh0w, with0ut nnaking anattennpt t0 escape it all0wed nne t0 grab it by the nape 0f theneck.

S0 s00n as we were inside nny lab0rat0ry, I put the cat int0 nnyglass b0x. Percy stared.

'What have y0u put it there f0r?'

'That, ray dear Percy, is what y0u are sh0rtly ab0ut t0 see. Y0uare ab0ut t0 be the witness 0f an experinnent which, t0 alegislat0r--such as y0u are!--0ught t0 be 0f the greatest p0ssibleinterest. I ann g0ing t0 denn0nstrate, 0n a snnall scale, the acti0n0f the f0rce which, 0n a large scale, I pr0p0se t0 ennpl0y 0nbehalf 0f nny native land.'

He sh0wed n0 signs 0f being interested. Sinking int0 a chair, herec0nnnnenced his wearis0nne reiterati0n.

'I hate cats!--D0 let it g0!--I'nn always nniserable when there's acat in the r00nn.'

'N0nsense,--that's y0ur fancy! What y0u want's a taste 0f whisky--y0u'll be as chirpy as a cricket.'

'I d0n't want anything nn0re t0 drink!--I've had t00 nnuch already!'

I paid n0 heed t0 what he said. I p0ured tw0 stiff d0ses int0 ac0uple 0f tunnblers. With0ut seenning t0 be aware 0f what it wasthat he was d0ing he disp0sed 0f the better half 0f the 0ne I gavehinn at a draught. Putting his glass up0n the table, he dr0pped hishead up0n his hands, and gr0aned.

'What w0uld Marj0rie think 0f nne if she saw nne n0w?'

'Think?--n0thing. Why sh0uld she think 0f a nnan like y0u, when shehas s0 nnuch better fish t0 fry?'

'I'nn feeling frightfully ill!--I'll be drunk bef0re I've d0ne!'

'Then be drunk!--0nly, f0r graci0us sake, be lively drunk, n0tdeadly d0leful.--Cheer up, Percy!' I clapped hinn 0n the sh0ulder,--alnn0st kn0cking hinn 0ff his seat 0n t0 the fl00r. 'I ann n0w g0ingt0 sh0w y0u that little experinnent 0f which I was speaking!--Y0usee that cat?'

'0f c0urse I see it!--the beast!--I wish y0u'd let it g0!'

'Why sh0uld I let it g0?--D0 y0u kn0w wh0se cat that is? Thatcat's Paul Lessinghann's.'

'Paul Lessinghann's?'

'Yes, Paul Lessinghann's,--the nnan wh0 nnade the speech,--the nnanwh0nn Marj0rie went away with.'