Pinner."
Mrs. Pinner took the explanation with an apologetic laugh. "I'm that
hard o' hearing you never would believe. But I could ha' sworn. Ill
not keep you chattering, sir." She raised the dish cover.
A haddock was revealed. A fine, large, solid haddock from which a
cloud of strongly savoured vapour arose.
George foresaw disaster. That smell! that hungry cat! Almost he pushed
Mrs. Pinner to the door. "That you, thank you. I have everything now.
I will ring if--"
"_Mi-aow!_"
"Bless my soul!" Mrs. Pinner exclaimed. "There is a cat"; dropped on
hands and knees; pushed her head beneath the sofa.
George rushed for the basket. Wreaking his craven alarm upon the
hapless prisoner, he shook it; with a horrible bump slammed it upon
the floor; placed his foot upon it.
Mrs. Pinner drew up, panting laboriously. "Didn't you hear a cat,
mister?"
George grappled the crisis. "I did not hear a cat. If there were a cat
I should have heard it. I should have felt it. I abominate cats. I can
always tell when a cat is near me. There is no cat. Kindly leave me to
my breakfast."
Poor Mrs. Pinner was ashamed. "I'm sure I do beg you parding, mister.
The fact is we've all got cats fair on the brain this morning. In this
here new paper, mister, as perhaps you've seen, and they're giving us
a free copy every day for a week, there's a cat been stole, mister.
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