“The cat’s claw, eh?” mused Belvoir. “ ‘Beware of the cat’s claw.’ Funny, Superintendent, that the Lord of Aidenn and Parson Lolly should use the same words.”
“I wish someone would tell me,” said I, “what is a perfidious tree.”
“I should like to know, too,” Alberta declared, “and what’s more, why anybody should keep a cat under one.”
“I wish Mr. Maryvale had annihilated that fiendish cat,” said Mrs. Bartholomew. “It gives me a shiver whenever I think of it somewhere up there, maybe waiting for one of us.”
Pendleton looked towards Miss Lebetwood and lowered his voice. “Why, you don’t mean to say that you think the beast had anything to do with Cosgrove’s death?”
“Cats don’t usually hit people with stones,” contributed Bob.
“Nonsense,” called Ludlow sharply. “Fiendish cat, flying Parson, perfidious tree, deathless arm, mystic bone, and all balderdash!”
“Very well, my Lord,” said Salt, who appeared ready to indulge in a little crossing of swords, “explain this tragedy without the balderdash.”
“Explain it with!” retorted his Lordship.
The documents had been passing from hand to hand. “My Lord, I’ll have a look at that manuscript, if you’ve finished,” said Salt. “No, I mean the English-written one.”