Mrs. Minns appeared at the door. She was a round, fat woman, short and panting, with sleeves rolled up above her podgy elbows.
"Is this your kitten?" asked Pip again, and Daisy held it out to show the cook.
"Now where did it get to this time?" said Mrs. Minns, taking it, and squeezing it against her. "Sweetie! Sweetie! Here's your kitten again! Why don't you look after it better?"
A large black and white cat strolled out of the kitchen, and looked inquiringly at the kitten. The kitten mewed and tried to jump down.
"Take your kitten, Sweetie," said Mrs. Minns. She put it down and it ran to its mother.
"Isn't it exactly like its mother?" said Daisy.
"She's got two more," said Mrs. Minns. "You come in and see them. Dear little sweets! Dogs I can't bear, but give me a cat and kittens and I'm happy."
The two children went into the kitchen. The big black and white cat had got into a basket, and the children saw three black and white kittens there too, all exactly alike.
"Oh, can I stay and play with them a bit?" asked Daisy, thinking it would be a marvellous excuse to stop and talk to Mrs. Minns.
"So long as you don't get into my way," said Mrs. Minns, dumping down a tin of flour on the table. She was going to make pastry. "Where do you live?"