"Yes, he's a grand singer. Just you wait till he pipes up. You'll be
surprised. But you remember what I was saying a little while ago about
your mother? That zebra kitty--"

Before she could finish the sentence Edith heard the warning tinkle of
the tea-bell, and sprang up suddenly, exclaiming: "Good-by,
Mrs.--good-by, _madam_, I must go now. You've been very kind, thank you.
Good-by."

And out of the door and away she skipped, leaving her hostess, who had
not heard the bell, to wonder at her haste. "She went like a shot off a
shovel," said the good lady, taking up her knitting-work. "She seemed to
be such a well-mannered little girl, too! What got into her all at once?
She acted as if she was 'possessed of the fox.'"

This is a common expression in Japan, and naturally Mrs. McQuilken had
caught it up, as she had caught up other odd things in her travels. She
was something of a mocking-bird in her way, was the captain's widow.

"I've taken quite a fancy to Edith," she added, "a minute more and I
should have offered to give her the zebra kitty. But there, I shouldn't
want to make a fuss in the family. That woman, her mother, to think of
her talking so hard about cats! She doesn't _look_ like that kind of a
woman. I'm surprised."

Edith ran back to her mother breathless.

"Oh, mamma, I was having such a good time! And she didn't appear to be
'annoyed,' she talked just as fast all the time! But the bell rang while
she was saying something and I had to run."