At last, Blake managed to seize it with his mittened hands. He rolled
it in a cloth and gave it to a porter, and then advanced toward Mrs.
Keith, his face red with exertion but contrite, and the cloak, which
had come unhooked, hanging down from one shoulder. She glanced at him
in a puzzled, half-disturbed manner when he stopped.

"As the cat belongs to me," she said imperiously, "and as I'm told you
dropped it in the vestibule, I feel that I'm entitled to an
explanation. I gave the animal to my maid this morning, sending Miss
Graham to see it delivered to a veterinary surgeon, and it disappeared.
May I ask how it came into your possession?"

"Through no fault of Miss Graham's, I assure you. I happened to notice
your maid trying to carry an awkwardly shaped hamper, and Miss Graham
looking for a cab. It struck me the thing was more of a man's errand
and I undertook it."

"It's curious that you knew what the errand was, unless Miss Graham
told you." Mrs. Keith looked sternly at Millicent, and the girl
blushed. "I have been led to believe that you made her acquaintance,
without my knowledge, on board the steamer by which we came up."

"That," said Blake respectfully, "is not quite correct. I was formally
presented to Miss Graham in England some time ago. However, as I saw a
car coming along St. Catharine's while your maid was looking for a
hack, and there was no time to explain, I scribbled a note on a bit of
a letter and gave it to a boy to deliver to Miss Graham, and then I
took the cat to a taxidermist."

"To a taxidermist! Why?"