The behaviour of the cook was now a little better; but besides this
Dick had another hardship to get over. His bed stood in a garret,
where there were so many holes in the floor and the walls that every
night he was tormented with rats and mice. A gentleman having given
Dick a penny for cleaning his shoes, he thought he would buy a cat
with it. The next day he saw a girl with a cat, and asked her, "Will
you let me have that cat for a penny?" The girl said: "Yes, that I
will, master, though she is an excellent mouser."

Dick hid his cat in the garret, and always took care to carry a part
of his dinner to her; and in a short time he had no more trouble with
the rats and mice, but slept quite sound every night.

Soon after this, his master had a ship ready to sail; and as it was
the custom that all his servants should have some chance for good
fortune as well as himself, he called them all into the parlour and
asked them what they would send out.

They all had something that they were willing to venture except poor
Dick, who had neither money nor goods, and therefore could send
nothing. For this reason he did not come into the parlour with the
rest; but Miss Alice guessed what was the matter, and ordered him to
be called in. She then said: "I will lay down some money for him, from
my own purse;" but her father told her: "This will not do, for it must
be something of his own."

When poor Dick heard this, he said: "I have nothing but a cat which I
bought for a penny some time since of a little girl."

"Fetch your cat then, my lad," said Mr. Fitzwarren, "and let her go."