I shrank away from him with my lip curling, and I uttered a peculiar
"Ugh!"
"All right!" he said gruffly. "They're stunning."
To prove his assertion he went on eating rapidly without paying any
further heed to me, throwing the shells over his head, and ending by
screwing the paper up tightly that contained the salt.
Then he sprang up and faced me; took two or three steps in my direction,
and made a spring as if to jump right on to me.
Naturally enough I gave way, and he darted out of the shed and dashed
down between two rows of trees, to be out of sight directly, for I did
not give chase.
"He can talk," I said to myself as I went on down the garden thinking of
the snails, and that Shock was something like the wild boy of whom I had
once read.
But soon the various objects in the great garden made me forget Shock,
for the men were at work, hoeing, digging, and planting, and I was
beginning to feel uncomfortable and to think that Old Brownsmith would
be annoyed if he found me idle, when he came down one of the walks,
followed by his cats, and laid his hand upon my shoulder.
"Better?" he said abruptly. "That's right. What you're to do? Oh wait
a bit, we'll see! Get used to the place first."
He gave me a short nod, and began pointing out different tasks that he
wished his men to carry out, while I watched attentively, feeling as if
I should like to run off and look at the ripening fruit, but not caring
to go away, for fear Mr Brownsmith might want me.
One thing was quite evident, and that was that the cats were disposed to
be very friendly. They did not take any notice of the men, but one
after the other came and had a rub up against my leg, purring softly,
and looking up at me with their slits of eyes closed up in the bright
sunshine, till all at once Old Brownsmith laid his hand upon my shoulder
again, and said one word: "Breakfast!"
I walked with him up to the house, and noticed that instead of following
us in, the cats ran up a flight of steps into a narrow loft which seemed
to be their home, two of them seating themselves at once in the doorway
to blink at the sunshine.
"Like cats?" said the old gentleman.
"Oh yes!" I said.
"Ah! I see you've made friends."
"Yes, I replied; but I haven't made friends with that boy Shock."
"Well, that does not matter," said Old Brownsmith. "Come, sit down;
bread and milk morning."
I sat down opposite to him, to find that a big basin of bread and milk
stood before each of us, and at which, after a short grace, Old
Brownsmith at once began.