■ Tobermory

I t was a cold， rain－ washed afternoon in late August． Lady Blemley and her guests were sitting round the teatable． Everyone was listening open－ mouthed to Mr Cornelius Appin.

Although he was one of her guests， Lady Blemley did notknow Mr Appin well． She had invited him to stay at Blemley House because she had heard that he was clever． But until teatime that day he had not done or said anything clever． Hedid not play tennis， or sing， or make intelligent conversation． But now Mr Appin was describing a most extraordinary discovery and the other guests were listening with deep interest． 'Are you telling us that you have found a way of teachinganimals to talk？ 'Sir Wilfrid was saying． 'And our dear oldTobermory is your first successful student？ '

'I have studied this problem for seventeen years， 'saidMr Appin， 'but I didn't have any real success until eight ornine months ago． Of course， I have studied thousands of animals， but recently I have worked only with cats． A cat， of course， is a wild animal who agrees to live with you． All catsare intelligent， but naturally some cats are more intelligent than others． When I met Tobermory a week ago， I realized at once that here was an extraordinarily intelligent cat， a veryspecial cat indeed． In Tobermory， I found the student I needed． With him I have succeeded in my plan． '

Nobody laughed， and nobody actually said'Rubbish'， al-though Clovis's lips moved silently…

'And have you really taught Tobermory， 'asked MissResker， 'to say and understand short， easy words？ '

'My dear Miss Resker， 'said Mr Appin patiently， 'weteach little children and very slow， stupid adults in that way． But Tobermory is a most intelligent cat． He can speak Englishas well as you or I can． '

This time Clovis said'Rubbish！ 'aloud．

Sir Wilfrid was more polite， but it was clear that he didnot believe Mr Appin's story．

'Shall we bring the cat in here and hear him forourselves？ 'said Lady Blemley．

Sir Wilfrid went off to look for Tobermory．

'Mr Appin will try to be clever， 'said Miss Resker happily， 'but if we watch him carefully， we shall see his lips move． '

In a minute Sir Wiflrid returned， looking very excited．

'It's true， you know！ 'he said． 'I found Tobermory sleeping in the smoking-room， and called out to him to come for his tea． He lifted his head and opened one eye． I said， “Come on， Toby， don't keep us waiting！ ”and he said calmly， “I'll come when I'm ready！ ”I couldn't believe my ears！ '

The guests all started talking at once， while Mr Appin satsilently and looked very pleased with himself indeed．

Then Tobermory entered the room and calmly walkedover to the tea table． The conversation stopped． Nobody knewwhat to say to a talking cat． At last Lady Blemley spoke：

'Would you like some milk， Tobermory？ 'she asked in ahigh， unnatural voice．

'I don't mind if I do， 'answered Tobermory． Lady Blemley's hand shook with excitement and some of the milkwent onto the carpet．

'Oh dear！ I'm so sorry， 'she said．

'I don't mind． It isn't my carpet， after all， 'replied To－ bermory.

There was another silence， then Miss Resker asked politely， 'Did you find it difficult to learn English， Tobermory？ '

Tobermory looked straight through her with his brightgreen eyes． Clearly， he did not answer questions that did notinterest him．

'What do you think of the intelligence of people？ 'askedMavis Pellington．

'Which people's intelligence？ 'asked Tobermory coldly.

'Well， my intelligence， for example， 'said Mavis with alittle laugh．

'You make things very uncomfortable for me， 'said Tobermory， although he did not look at all uncomfortable. 'WhenLady Blemley wanted to invite you here， Sir Wilfrid was notpleased． “Mavis Pellington is the stupidest woman I know， ”he said． “That's why I want to invite her， ”Lady Blemleyreplied． “I want her to buy my old car， and she's stupidenough to do that． ”'

'It isn't true！ 'cried Lady Blemley． 'Don't believe him， Mavis！ '

'If it isn't true， 'said Mavis coldly， 'why did you saythis morning that your car would be just right for me？ '

Major Barfield did his best to help． He tried to start anew conversation． 'How are you getting on with your littleblack and white lady friend in the garden？ 'he asked Tobermory.

Everybody realized at once that this was a mistake．

Tobermory gave him an icy look． 'We do not usually discuss these things in polite company， 'he said． 'But I havewatched you a little since you have been in this house． I thinkperhaps you would not like me to discuss your lady friends. '

The Major's face became very red， and all the otherguests began to look worried and uncomfortable． What was Tobermory going to say next？

'Would you like to go down to the kitchen now， Tobermory， 'asked Lady Blemley politely， 'and see if the cook hasgot your dinner ready？ '

'No， thank you， 'said Tobermory． 'I 've only just hadmy tea． I don't want to make myself sick． '

'Cats have nine lives， you know， 'said Sir Wilfrid with alaugh．

'Possibly， 'answered Tobermory． 'But only one stomach． '

'Lady Blemley！ 'cried Mrs Cornett， 'Don't send thatcat to the kitchen. He will talk about us to the cook！ '

Everyone was very worried now． They remembered uncomfortably that Tobermory moved freely all over the houseand gardens， at all hours of the day and night. He could lookinto any of the bedrooms if he wanted to． What had he seen？ What had he heard？ Nobody's secrets were safe now.

'Oh， why did I come here？ 'cried Agnes Resker， whocould never stay silent for long．

'You know very well why you came here， 'said Tobermory immediately． 'You came for the food， of course． I heardyou talking to Mrs Cornett in the garden． You said that the Blemleys were terribly boring people， but they had an excel-lent cook． '

'You mustn't believe him！ 'cried Agnes． 'I never saidthat， did I， Mrs Cornett？ '

'Later， Mrs Cornett repeated your words to Bertie vanTahn， 'said Tobermory． 'She said， “That Resker woman willgo anywhere for four good meals a day， ”and Bertie said—'

Just then Tobermory looked out of the window and sawthe doctor's big yellow cat crossing the garden． Immediatelyhe disappeared through the open window．

Everyone started talking at once， and Mr Appin foundhimself in a storm of angry questions．

'You must stop this at once， 'everyone said to him. 'What will happen if Tobermory teaches other cats to talk？ We shall never have a moment's peace！ '

'It's possible that he has taught the gardener's cat， 'replied Mr Appin thoughtfully， 'but I don't believe he hashad time to teach any other cats． '

'Then， 'said Mrs Cornett， 'although Tobermory is avaluable cat， he and the gardener's cat must die． Don't youagree， Lady Blemley？ '

'You're right， 'said Lady Blemley sadly. 'My husbandand I love Tobermory—well， we did before this afternoon—but now， of course， he must die as soon as possible． ''We will poison his dinner， 'said Sir Wilfrid， 'and I willkill the gardener's cat myself． The gardener won't like it， but I'll say it has some kind of disease—'

'But what about my discovery？ 'cried Mr Appin． 'What about all my years of work？ Are you going to destroy my onlysuccessful student？ '

'You can go and teach the cows on the farm， 'said Mrs Cornett coldly， 'or the elephants at the zoo． Elephants arevery intelligent， they tell me， and elephants don't hide behind chairs or under beds and listen to people's conversations． 'Mr Appin knew when he was beaten．

Dinner that evening was not a success． Sir Wilfrid hadhad a difficult time with the gardener's cat and later with the gardener． Agnes Resker refused to eat anything， while Mavis Pellington ate her meal in silence． Everyone was waiting for Tobermory． A plate of poisoned fish stood ready for him in thedining－ room， but he did not come home． Nobody talked much， and nobody laughed． It was a most uncomfortable meal．

After dinner the Blemleys and their guests sat in the smoking－ room． Everyone was quiet and worried and nobodywanted to play cards． At eleven o'clock the cook and the housekeeper went to bed． They left the kitchen window openfor Tobermory as usual， but he did not come．

At two o'clock Clovis spoke：

'He won't come home tonight． He's probably in the newspaper office selling them his story． They'll love it． The story will be the excitement of the year． '

After that everyone went to bed， but nobody slept．

In the morning Tobermory had still not come home．

Breakfast was another quiet， uncomfortable meal． Then， half－ way through the coffee， the gardener brought in Tobermory's blood-stained body．

'Look at his claws！ 'cried Clovis． 'He's been fighting！ 'And there， on Tobermory's claws， was the yellow hair of the doctor's cat．

By lunchtime most of the guests had left Blemley House． Lady Blemley began to feel better． She took out her pen and paper and wrote a very angry letter to the doctor about the death of her valuable cat．

Tobermory was Mr Appin's only successful student． Afew weeks after Tobermory's death an elephant escaped from the Dresden Zoo and killed an English visitor．

The zoo keeper said that the elephant had always been acalm and gentle animal before． But suddenly it seemed to be－ come very angry with the English visitor， who was talking toit．

The dead man's name was reported in the newspapers as Oppin， but his first name was Cornelius．

'If Appin was trying to teach the poor elephant to speak German， 'said Clovis， 'I'm not surprised it killed him． '

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