Forester dressed himself as fast as he could, and followed Archibald
through a long passage, which led to a back staircase. "Do you hear the
noise?" said Archibald.

"Not I," said Forester.

"Well, you'll hear it plain enough presently," said Archibald: "follow me
down-stairs."

He followed, and was surprised, when he got into the hall, to find all
the family assembled. Lady Catherine had been awakened by a noise, which
she at first imagined to be the screaming of an infant. Her bedchamber
was on the ground floor, and adjoining to Dr. Campbell's laboratory, from
which the noise seemed to proceed. She awakened her son Archibald and
Mrs. Campbell; and, when she recovered her senses a little, she listened
to Dr. Campbell, who assured her, that what her ladyship thought was the
screaming of an infant was the noise of a cat: the screams of this cat
were terrible; and, when the light approached the door of the laboratory,
the animal flew at the door with so much fury, that nobody could venture
to open it. Every body looked at Forester, as if they suspected that he
had confined the cat, or that he was in some way or other the cause of
the disturbance. The cat, which, from his having constantly fed and
played with it, had grown extremely fond of him, used to follow him often
from room to room; and he now recollected, that it followed him the
preceding evening into the laboratory, when he went to replace the
skeleton. He had not observed whether it came out of the room again, nor
could he now conceive the cause of its yelling in this horrible manner.
The animal seemed to be mad with pain. Dr. Campbell asked his son whether
all the presses were locked. Henry said he was sure they were all locked.
It was his business to lock them every evening; and he was so exact, that