Barks and Purrs | Page 6

smile at my approach,--the time to open the door and you'd
already put on your cat's mask--your pretty Japanesy mask, with its
narrow eyes.... Isn't it so?
KIKI-THE-DEMURE, (resolved not to hear)
The hour of the siesta is passing. The cone-shaped shadows of the pear
trees grow long on the gravel path. We've talked away our sleepiness.
You've forgotten the flies, your uneasy stomach, and the heat which
dances in waves on the meadows. The beautiful, sultry day is dying.
Already there's a breeze bringing perfume from the pines. Their trunks
are melting into bright tears....
TOBY-DOG
Here She is! She's left her wicker chair, stretched her lovely arms and,
judging from the movement of her dress, I think we're going to take a
walk. See her behind the rosebushes? Now, with her nails she breaks a
leaf from the lemon tree; she's crumpling it up and smelling it. Ah ... I
belong to Her, soul and body. With my eyes closed I can divine her
presence.
KIKI-THE-DEMURE
Yes, I see Her. She is quiet and gentle for the time being. He'll leave his
paper now to follow her. He'll come out calling, "Where are you?" and
sit on the bench, tired out. For him, I shall rise politely, and go "do my
nails" along the leg of his trousers. Silent, happy companions, we'll
listen for the day's departing footsteps. The perfume of the lindens will
become sickeningly sweet at the same hour that my seer's eyes grow

big and black and read mysterious Signs in the air.... Later on a calm
fire will be lit down there, behind the pointed mountain--a circle of
glistening rose-color in the gray-blue of the night--a sort of luminous
cocoon from which will burst the dazzling edge of the moon. She will
sail along, cleaving the clouds.... Then, it will be time to go to rest.
He'll carry me in on his shoulder and I'll sleep close to his feet, which
are ever mindful of my repose.... Dawn will find me shivering but
rejuvenated, sitting face to the sun, in a silvery halo of incense, offered
me by the dew. Thus, I am a perfect picture of the god I was in the old,
old days.

ON THE TRAIN
KIKI-THE-DEMURE, TOBY-DOG, SHE and HE, have taken their
places in a first-class compartment. The train rolls along towards
distant mountains, and the freedom of Summer-time. TOBY, on a leash,
lifts an inquiring nose to the window. HE has strewn the carriage with
newspapers: KIKI-THE-DEMURE, silent and invisible in a closed
basket, is under his immediate protection. SHE, leaning back against
the dusty cushions, dreams of the mountain she loves best and of the
low house on it, weighted down with jasmine and virginia-creeper.
TOBY-DOG
How fast this carriage goes! It can't be our regular coachman. I haven't
seen the horses, but they smell very bad and make black smoke. Oh,
Silent Dreamer, look at me and tell me--shall we arrive soon?
(No response. TOBY gets fidgety and blows through his nostrils.) SHE
Hush! Toby, hush!
TOBY-DOG
I've hardly said a word.... Shall we arrive soon?
(He turns towards his master, who is reading, and puts a discreet paw

on the edge of his knee.)
HE
'Sh!...
TOBY-DOG, (resigned)
Hard luck! No one wants to talk to me. I'm bored and what's more, I
don't know this carriage well enough. I'm tired out. They woke me very
early this morning. I amused myself by running all over the house.
They had hidden the chairs under sheets, wrapped up the lamps, rolled
up the rugs. Things were white and changed and awful. There was a
horrid smell of camphor everywhere. My eyes filled with water, I
sneezed under the chairs and slid on the bare floor in my haste to
follow the maids' white aprons. They bustled about among trunks with
such unwonted zeal, that I was sure something exceptional was going
to happen. At the last minute just as She came in, calling: "Toby's
collar and the cat's basket! Quick! put the cat in his basket!"--just as she
was saying that, my chum disappeared. It was indescribable! He,
terrible to see, swore by all the gods, and struck the floor with his cane,
furious because they had allowed his Kiki to get away. She called
"Kiki!" at first supplicatingly, then in threatening tones, and the maids
brought empty plates, meant to deceive, and yellow paper from the
butcher's. I really thought my chum had left this world, when
suddenly--there he was perched on top of the book-case, looking down
on us with an expression of contempt in his green eyes. She put up her
arms: "Kiki will you come down immediately! You are going to make
us lose the train!" But he didn't come down and it