At last, as they were not allowed to be surprised, and indeed felt afraid of being reproached with bad manners by the cats if they made any remarks at all, it began, especially for Jeanne, to grow rather stupid.
She gave Hugh a little tug.
"Won't you speak to her ?" she whispered, very, _very_ softly.
Instantly both cats lifted their right paws.
"You see," replied Hugh, looking at Jeanne reproachfully, "they're getting angry." On this the cats wheeled right round and looked at the children.
"I don't care," said Jeanne, working herself up.

"I don't care.

It's not our fault.

They said she was waiting for us, and they made us come in." "'_She_ is the cat,' so I've been told," said a soft voice suddenly.
"And 'don't care;' something was once spun about 'don't care,' I think." Immediately the two cats threw themselves on the ground, apparently in an agony of grief.
"_She_ the cat," they cried.

"Oh, what presumption! And who said 'don't care'?
Oh dear! oh dear! who would have thought of such a thing ?" The lady lifted her head, and looked at the cats and the children.