"They'll have plenty of room, anyway! If you had seen the cages, Aunt Kezia! This blessed puppy—"
"Was in a cage smaller than himself! I have heard that already." There was sarcasm in her tone that was completely lost on Nell.
"Yes! Just imagine! Oh, we just had to buy them all. And that poor parrot was eating out of an empty pan! It was cruel! We just went in and bought them all."
"Bought—them—all!" Miss Kezia echoed her words quite faintly.
"You paid for these—these creatures!"
"Why, yes! It was a horrid little shop, half full of papers and magazines, half full of tobacco and pipes, and half full of these poor dears. Of course it was a good deal of money, but what were we to do? It was Jim who cost the most—oh, Denis, have you got the rest of the mice?"
"This beast of a midnight caroller has scratched a hunk of flesh out of my hand, and all because I saved a mouse from her cattish jaws!"
He was holding a thin and mangy tabby cat at arm's length.
"Why didn't you let her catch it? It is perfectly ridiculous to be so childish at your age!" Poor Miss Kezia could not find words to express her utter disapproval and want of understanding.
"Well," observed Denis, "'twould be playing it pretty low to buy half-a-dozen tame mice and give 'em to the cat. I expect, if their opinion were asked, you'd find they preferred even the old Jew's cage to the cat's interior."