"No," said Bets. "At least, I don't think so. I've seen a big boy there, but I think he works in the garden. I hear him whistling sometimes. He whistles awfully nicely. Oh, and there are lots of cats there — very funny cats."
"Cats? What sort of cats?" said Pip in surprise, and Buster pricked up his ears and growled at the mention of cats.
"They've got dark-brown faces and tails and legs," said Bets, "and cream-coloured fur. I saw the girl who looks after them carrying one once. It looked very queer."
"She means Siamese cats," said Larry. "Have they got bright blue eyes, Bets?"
"I don't know," said Bets. "I wasn't near enough to see. Anyway, cats have green eyes, not blue, Larry."
"Siamese cats have bright blue ones," said Fatty. "I know, because my aunt once had one — a beauty, called Patabang. They are valuable cats."
"I'd like to go in next door and see them some day," said Daisy, thinking that a cat with bright blue eyes, dark-brown face, legs, and tail, and cream-coloured fur sounded very lovely. "Who's the owner, Bets?"
"Somebody called Lady Candling," said Bets. "I've never seen her. She is away a lot, I think."
The children lay on their backs talking. Buster went from one to another, licking their faces and making them squeal and push him away.
Then there came the sound of a cheerful whistling just over the wall. It was a fine whistle, clear and melodious.