He ate a
whole jelly, and then took four sandwiches off each plate, and four
cakes and pasties off each plate. He had learnt wisdom since the last
party. Meanwhile, the cat licked away at the cream blanc-mange with
every evidence of satisfaction. It even began to purr, and as its
satisfaction increased so did the purr. It possessed a peculiar
penetrating purr.
"Cook!" called out Emma from the kitchen.
Cook came out of the library where she was assisting with the festoon
hanging. "What's the matter?"
"There's a funny buzzing noise in the larder."
"Well, go in and see what it is. It's probably a wasp, that's all."
Emma approached with the key, and William, clasping the blanc-mange to
his bosom, withdrew behind the door, slipping off his shoes in
readiness for action.
"Poor Puss!" said Emma, opening the door and meeting the cat's green,
unabashed gaze. "Did it get shut up in the nasty dark larder, then?
Who did it, then?"
She was bending down with her back to William, stroking the cat in the
doorway. William seized his chance. He dashed past her and up the
stairs in stockinged feet like a flash of lightning. But Emma, leaning
over the cat, had espied a dark flying figure out of the corner of her
eye. She set up a scream. Out of the library came William's mother,
William's sister, William's brother, and cook.
"A burglar in the larder!" gasped Emma. "I seed 'im, I did! Out of the
corner of my eye, like, and when I looked up 'e wasn't there no more.
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