Page:Henry rideout--The siamese cat.djvu/141

 Why do you chaps poison and stab people for the sake of a cat?"

"Poison?" echoed Borkman. He whistled softly. "So they tried that on you, too. Hmm! Now you ask why, Mr. Scarlett, that's a hard question—a complex matter. You see, this cat—" He pointed to Chao Phya, who sat in the bunk describing half-circles of ablution round his ear, with a puffy paw bent like a boxing-glove. "This particular cat happens to be a kind of sacred animal. A secret society—"

Scarlett jumped up and flung open the door.

"That's enough!" he cried angrily. "Stop this baby-talk, and get out! I can't sit stewing in here over nonsense!"

Borkman rose laughing. His opal eyes twinkled merrily.

"There you are," said he. "The moment I do try lying, you bowl me clean. I'm no