For the cat is the guardian of the barn; the grain which tempts the rats and mice is no temptation to her; the rats and mice themselves are; upon them she executes justice, and remains herself an incorruptible, because untempted, therefore a respectable member of the farm-community--only the dairy door must be kept shut; that has no cat-wicket in it.
The hole was a small one, but tempting to the wee baronet; he might perhaps be able to squeeze himself through.

He tried and succeeded, though with some little difficulty.

The moon was there before him, shining through a pane or two of glass over the door, and by her light on the hard brown clay floor, Gibbie saw where he was, though if he had been told he was in the barn, he would neither have felt nor been at all the wiser.

It was a very old-fashioned barn.

About a third of it was floored with wood--dark with age--almost as brown as the clay--for threshing upon with flails.