AUNTIE MAY TOOK ME ACROSS HER SHOULDER.
I was glad they didn't put me down among the animals. I didn't fancy that broad bill of the duck's fumbling at me.
Next day at luncheon Kitty scored off Miss Grueber again. Kitty adores chocolate pudding, and when it is there she gallops through her first helping of rice so as to be ready for chocolate.
Miss Grueber, who knew this, said, 'Kiddy, you are done your rice double-quick time. I see you come. Now what you want?'
And Kitty said very politely, 'Some more rice pudding, if you please.'
That night I was back in the drawing-room again, on Beatrice's knee, and they all talked of ghosts. I was surprised to hear that Mrs. Gilmour had seen several north-country ghosts. In fact she knew them very well, and said there was no need to be afraid of them, for they never touched you.
Auntie May made her quite angry by telling her that her cat Petronilla saw ghosts.
'Last year,' said Auntie May, 'I took her to Littlecote, the famous Elizabethan mansion that is haunted by Wild Darrell. We had Queen Elizabeth's room, with a stone carved mantelpiece that seemed to overhang the whole room. Pet slept on my bed on the side farthest away from the door. About the middle of the night—I was not exactly sleeping very well myself—I felt her stirring, and I lit a candle, for there is of course no electric light in such a very old house. Petronilla was sitting up in her place, staring out at something near the door. Her great green eyes were round and dilated. She sat staring fixedly in the same direction for quite five minutes—'
'Are you quite sure as to the number of minutes?' asked Mrs. Gilmour, sarcastically.