Maisie nodded. She had meant to say a good deal, but now that the moment had come, her feelings were rather more than she could manage. She gazed beseechingly at Aunt Katharine, who could save the kittens by one word, and still crumbling up her cake with her little brown hands, murmured, “Just this once.”
Aunt Katharine smiled.
“And how about my rule?” she said. “If you keep the kittens ‘just this once,’ you will want to keep the next, and the next, and we shall soon have as many cats as there were before. That would never do.”
“There were fifteen,” said Dennis.—“Pass the cake, please, Maisie.”
Maisie gave a little gulp of disappointment. It did not seem to her that fifteen cats were at all too many for comfort and pleasure, but Aunt Katharine knew best. So she drew a small handkerchief out of her pocket, wiped the crumbs from her fingers, and struggled for composure. Both she and Dennis thought the matter quite ended, for their aunt began to talk of other things, and after tea she read to them as usual, and not another word was said about the kittens until bed-time. It was surprising, therefore, to hear her say as she shut up the book:
“Children, I have something to propose to you about the kittens. You know I can’t let you keep them, because it is against my rule, which I should not have made unless it had been necessary; but, if you like to find them two good homes, I will allow you to give them away this time.”
“Oh auntie!” exclaimed Maisie, clapping her hands, “how lovely!”
“How long may we have to look out?” asked Dennis.
“The kittens must be sent away from here this day three weeks,” said Aunt Katharine solemnly; “and remember, children, I said ‘two good homes,’ so I trust you to take trouble to find them. It would be really kinder to drown them at once, than to send them where they might be starved or ill-treated.”
Two good homes! It was indeed a serious responsibility, and their aunt had said the words so earnestly, that the children were both much impressed by them. Maisie in particular, in the midst of her rejoicing that the kittens were saved, felt quite sobered by the burden resting upon her.