LOVE AND WAR.
Hum Villa, the house which had been left me by my deceased cousin, stooda little back from the main street, and although surrounded with smallerdwellings, was yet quiet and retired.
This was owing to its garden, and to several fine trees which shaded it;one of them particularly, an ancient oak, that stood by the right-handcorner of the grounds, cast its broad and knotted arms over a rusticbench, and made a delightful retreat from the warmth of the summer sun.
It had been the favourite spot of my departed relation: here she wouldcome, in the long afternoons, and, reclining on the chair, with a bookin her hand, read a page or two, then stop to listen to the birds whichtwittered in the topmost branches of the tree, or watch the busy insectsat her feet, as they ran about intent upon their pursuits of business orenjoyment.
There could not have been a stronger proof of the goodness of herdisposition, than to note the friendship which existed between her andthe timid birds that frequented the garden. Perhaps it was the love ofmusic in both that created a kind of sympathy between them, for I haveoften hidden myself within a short distance of her seat, in order towatch the proceedings of herself and feathered friends.
When they observed her alone, they would hop down from branch to branch,until they were almost within her reach, when, after hesitating a fewmoments to see that no other Puss was near, they would leap down uponher seat, upon the ground, upon her very shoulder, and begin theirsongs. Then followed such a twittering and chattering, while their wingstrembled with excitement, until, at some noise perhaps which I myselfhad made, they would start from their places, and in an instant fly up,up, until they had put the whole height of the tree between them and thesupposed danger. Often had I wished to obtain from them a similarconfidence; often by various inducements of food and voice endeavouredto lure them down. My persuasions were all useless: they would put theirlittle heads on one side, and talk a little among themselves, apparentlydebating whether it would be advisable to accept my invitation; but someold and cautious birds, I suppose, advised them to refuse my advances,for they never dared to partake of the meal I had spread for them untilI had myself taken my departure.
Once only, after my cousin's death, when I was seated in the place, andin the attitude she herself was accustomed to assume, did a venturesomelittle creature undertake to pay me a closer visit. But I was notflattered by the attention, for it evidently mistook me for her who wasno more; as, scarcely had it perched upon the arm of the bench, at theopposite end to where I was sitting, and glanced at my face, than itflew off in the greatest alarm to communicate its terrors to itscompanions.
Although I thus failed to secure the confidence and friendship of mycousin's allies, there were other sources of amusement which this quietnook afforded me. Unseen myself, I had a view of at least a dozendwellings, and of the antics played by their inhabitants. It isastonishing to a Cat of perfect good-breeding to observe the propensityof the uneducated classes to climbing and creeping about in the mostelevated and dangerous positions. Within a few doors of my own houseresided an old Tom, whose business I never could guess, but who was athome all day sleeping or smoking, and went out to his occupation atnightfall. Instead however of taking his rest within-doors, as one wouldhave thought it most comfortable to do, he always had his doze in theopen air, and no place would suit him but the very edge of the roof ofhis house, with his legs and tail generally swinging in the air. It wasa wonder to me that he did not either fall or get pitched off; for hissons and daughters, an immense tribe of unruly Cats of all ages, wereconstantly on the roof too, chasing each other about, rolling over oneanother's backs, and often hissing and spitting at each other in a mostshocking and boisterous way. Their poor mother had lost all control overthem, and after trying, as I had often seen her, to get them into moreorderly habits, she was forced to give up the struggle and allow them totake their own course.
These rude creatures had taken a particular dislike to me: first,because I had reproved the young Pussies for their behaviour, as beingvery unbecoming their age and sex; and secondly, on account of my havingforbidden them entering my grounds to chase the poor birds who lodged inthe trees.
As to the latter particular, they at first set my wishes at defiance,paid no attention to my remonstrances, and actually one day came overthe palings into my garden and carried off a poor little bird whichhad fallen from its nest. I was then obliged to have recourse to othermeasures. I hired an old Tom to scare them away, which he did soeffectually that they never ventured to come within his reach. But theirhatred to me became all the greater; and as from their lofty position onthe housetop they could see right into my garden, whenever I ventured towalk there, they saluted me with all sorts of names, called me a "Prude,"the "Schoolmistress," and anything else which they thought would annoyme, so that I was pleased to have the shelter of my arbour, where Icould be out of sight and yet enjoy the fresh air.
It is always unpleasant to be at variance with one's neighbours, andno doubt animals ought to make many sacrifices to prevent it, and livein harmony together; but it would have been weakness to give up thehappiness and even the lives of my favourite birds--the favourites tooof my poor dead Cousin--in order to please the unruly offspring of mysingular neighbour. A state of war might therefore be said to existbetween us, and I was not long in feeling the effect of the malice I hadunwillingly provoked.
And here I must speak of an adventure which, although quite innocent initself, caused me a great deal of pain, and forced me to become, for along time, a wanderer from my native city.
One evening, when seated in my arbour, after my pupils were dismissed,a servant came to inform me that a strange Tom was in the parlour,who desired to speak to me. I at once went in, and observed a tall,foreign-looking figure, who introduced himself as Senhor Dickie. Heexplained that he was an artist; had met my cousin in his own country;had been invited by her to pay her a visit at her house in Caneville,if ever he should come that way; that he had arrived that morning, andlearnt to his surprise that she was no more; that he had neverthelesstaken the liberty to come to the house, in order to see the survivingrelative of one for whom he entertained a warm friendship, and expresshis sorrow for her death.
He said all this in so Cat-like a tone, and his beautiful green eyes hadso tender an expression when he spoke of my poor cousin and looked atme, that I quite felt for him, and we had a long chat together about thegoodness of her who was no more. We had talked ourselves into so goodan understanding, that, when he went away, I asked him, as a matter ofcourse, to come and see me again; nor could I indeed avoid inviting himto that house to which, had my cousin been alive, he would have been,no doubt, very welcome.
Senhor Dickie came often to see me, and every time he came the betterdid we become acquainted. We chatted together about all sorts of things;we sang duets together (he had a fine bass voice); and at last herequested permission to take my portrait, which he did, as representedin the Frontispiece to this Autobiography.
It was on occasion of one of these visits that, on a hot summer'safternoon, we sat in the arbour together. I do not know how it was wehad walked out there, whether at his wish or at my invitation, but therewe sat, and I remember thinking--for I said nothing--that nature hadnever appeared more beautiful. The flowers seemed to be tinged with morelovely colours; the green of the trees wore a richer and deeper hue;the butterflies looked as if they had put on their most dazzling suitsin celebration of some holiday; and the birds appeared to be holdinghigh festival beneath the glowing heavens, and fluttered and twitteredand sang with greater glee than they had ever seemed to do before. Mycompanion's voice, low and deep at all times, was surely softer on thatevening than I had ever known it; and his eyes wore a look of tendernesswhich made me cast mine to the ground, for fear he should discover thesame expression in my own.
He had just placed his paw on mine, and opened his mouth with theintention of making a speech, which I am sure would have been a sweetone, when I saw his face change, his b
ack set up, his tail swell out andmove angrily to and fro, while his ears fell back, and an angry hisswhistled fiercely from his close-set teeth, as he looked towards thepalings. I turned quickly round in the direction of his eyes, and, to myhorror, saw one of the malicious creatures of the house close by, whowas watching us with intense satisfaction through a break in the fence,and grinning at the tender scene which I have been attempting todescribe.
When she saw she was discovered, she started off towards her own house,uttering, as she went, a hoarse Mul-rou-u-u! but before she had gothalfway there, my companion had leapt over the fence and pounced uponher, to punish her for her indiscreet curiosity and impertinence.The screams of the young Puss, and the loud and angry tones of SenhorDickie (for I grieve to say he swore dreadfully), brought all her familyout-of-doors, who, seeing the chastisement, and without inquiringwhether it was deserved, fell upon poor Senhor Dickie in a body, and soill-treated him, tearing his very coat off his back, that he was forcedto run limping away, nor did he ever again venture to make hisappearance in the neighbourhood.
ONE TOO MANY.]
When my poor companion had thus been forced to take to flight, all theanger of the enraged creatures fell on me. As I made my way into thehouse, hisses, screams, the most horrible sounds the Cat tribe arecapable of uttering, broke from the numerous family; and, what wasworse, the uproar having brought all my neighbours out-of-doors, thegreatest falsehoods were told them about the origin of the dispute, andI had not strength to raise my voice in order to explain the truth.Finding there was no chance of obtaining justice, or even a hearing,from my prejudiced judges, I walked slowly into the house, apparentlyindifferent to what they were saying about my slyness and my cruelty;but as soon as I got in-doors all my calmness vanished. Sorrow,confusion, anger, so warred together in my bosom, that my Cat's framecould bear it no longer. I fell to the ground in a fainting fit, andwas conveyed to bed by my servants, where I remained several days, aprey to as much unpleasant feeling as if I were really the cruel Puss myneighbours accused me of being, and as if it were really true that I hadpersuaded poor Senhor Dickie to fall upon the little spy out of spitetowards her family.