"That's the cat-house," said Luke. "And there's Miss Harmer."
A plump young woman, dressed in corduroy coat and breeches, was near the cat-house. She looked surprised to see the five children.
"Hallo," she said, "where have you come from?"
"We came over the wall," said Larry. "We wanted to see the cats. They're not ordinary ones, are they?"
"Oh no," said Miss Harmer. She was a big, strapping girl of about twenty. "There they are — do you like them?"
The children gazed into the big cage-like building. There were quite a number of cats there, all with the same striking colouring — dark-brown and cream, with brilliant blue eyes. They stared at the children, and miaowed in most peculiar voices.
"They're lovely," said Daisy, at once.
"I think they look queer," said Pip.
"Are they really cats? They look a bit like monkeys," said Bets. The others laughed.
"You wouldn't think they were monkeys once you felt their sharp claws!" said Miss Harmer, with a laugh. "All these cats are prize ones — they have been to shows and won a lot of money."