“She won't come. She is fearful of everything. If she saw you, she would be frightened to death.”
“Why doesn't Miss Mary come out and coax her in?”
“She has tried, Mona. The cat is shy beyond description, and runs away from human beings, and all this time she is waiting for her supper,” and I looked at the piece of mutton.
“I'm going to keep you in sight,” said Mona doggedly.
I didn't know what to do, and had to stop and think for a while.
“Mona,” I said at last, “I know you like to please our little mistress. Now, give me one chance. You go down to the corner of Charles Street, where the poor cat can't see you, or smell you, and I will go to her with this piece of meat. I will say, 'This is the last scrap I can bring you. I am watched, and after to-night I shall not be able to come out. I am deceiving my little mistress, and deception is hateful to me. If you won't follow me to the house, where I assure you you will meet with a warm welcome, I must leave you to your fate.'”
“I hate deception, too,” said Mona getting up, “and in order to please you, I must disobey Mr. Denville, for he told me not to let you out of my sight. However, for this once I will give in, but mind, no cat tricks. If you come out one more night, I'll dog you wherever you go.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you, Mona,” I said, and I bounded away while she sauntered slowly down Beacon Street, went round the corner, and sat on Charles Street.
I knew she would keep her word, but I must not make her wait too long. If Mr. Denville came to the door, and found her away he would be annoyed, and Mona could not explain. If he should send Anthony in search of her, and she was discovered away down at the corner, she would be in disgrace. Mona was really doing a great deal for me, and Mr. Denville was doing a great deal for me in having Mona on the front steps. Usually she was strictly forbidden to go there, for she was so large that the Denvilles were afraid she would terrify callers. She was such a noble creature that Mr. Denville knew she understood perfectly well whatever he told her to do. Yes, Mona was very good, and I thought of her every minute as I rushed toward my poor friend's hiding-place. I did hope that Mr. Denville would have gentleman callers, so that he would not think about the task he had set his dog.
When I look back on this evening I wonder that my strength held out—my strength and my patience. I had a trying time with Mona. I had a worse one with the cat. In fact, I had a horrible time. Of course I could not get a word into her ear till she ate her meat. Her table manners were atrocious, and when she was eating she cracked her jaws and growled to herself, and was absolutely deaf and dumb to every sound but that of her own eating.