V。
Adeeppeacefelluponuswhentheywent，anditmusthavebeenatthismostreceptivemoment，whenalloursympathieswereadjustedinamoodofhospitableexpectation，thatJimappeared。
Jimwas，andstillis，andIhopewilllongbe，acat；butunlessonehaslivedatKitteryPoint，andrealized，fromobservationandexperience，whataleadingpartcatsmayplayinsociety，onecannotfeelthefullimportofthisfact。NotonlyhaseveryhouseinKitteryitscat，buteveryhouseseemstohaveitshalf-dozencats，large，little，old，andyoung；ofdiverscolors，tendingmostlytoadarktortoise-shell。Withawholeoceaninvitingtothetragicrite，IdonotbelievethereiseverakittendrownedinKittery；theillimitablesearatheremploysitselfinsupplyingthefishtowhich\"nocat\'saverse，\"butwhichthecatsofKitterydemandtohavecooked。Theydonotlikerawfish；theysayitplainly，andtheyprefertohavethebonestakenoutforthem，thoughtheydonotinsistuponthatpoint。
Atleast，Jimneverdidsofromthetimewhenhefirstscentedtheodorofdelicateyoungmackerelintheeveningairaboutourkitchen，anddroppedinuponthemaidstherewithafinecasualeffectofbeingmerelyoutforawalk，andfeelingitaneighborlythingtocall。Hehadonasilvercollar，engravedwithhisnameandsurname，whichoffereditselfforintroductionlikeavisiting-card。Hewastoopolitetoaskhimselftothetableatonce，butafterhehadbeenwelcomedtothefamilycircle，heformedthehabitoffindinghimselfwithusatbreakfastandsupper，whenhesaunteredinlikeonewhoshouldsay，\"DidIsmellfish？\"
butwouldnotgofurtherinthewayofhinting。
Hehadnoneedtodoso。Hewasmadeathome，andfreelyinvitedtoourbestnotonlyinfish，butinchicken，forwhichheshowedanicetaste，andinsweetcorn，forwhichherevealedamostsurprisingfondnesswhenitwascutfromthecobforhim。Afterhehadbreakfastedorsuppedhegracefullysuggestedthathewasthirstybyclimbingtothetablewherethewater-pitcherstoodandstretchinghisfinefelineheadtowardsit。
Whenhehadlappeduphissaucerofwater；hemarchedintotheparlor，andrivetedthechainsuponourfondnessbytakingthebestchairandgoingtosleepinitinattitudesofEgyptian，ofAssyrianmajesty。
Hisartswerefewornone；heratherdisdainedtopractiseany；hecompletedourconquestbymaintaininghimselfsimplyafascinatingpresence；andperhapswespoiledJim。Itiscertainthathecameundermywindowattwoo\'clockonenight，andtriedthekitchendoor。Itresistedhiseffortstogetin，andthenJimbegantouselanguagewhichIhadneverheardfromthelipsofacatbefore，andseldomfromthelipsofaman。Iwillnotrepeatit；enoughthatitcarriedtothelistenertheconvictionthatJimwasnotsober。WherehecouldhavegothisliquorinthetotallyabstinentStateofMaineIcouldnotpositivelysay，butprobablyofsomesailorwhohadbroughtitfromtheneighboringNewHampshirecoast。Therecouldbenodoubt，however，thatJimwasdrunk；andadashfromthewater-pitcherseemedtheonlythingforhim。
Thewaterdidnottouchhim，buthestartedbackinsurpriseandgrief，andvanishedintothenightwithoutaword。
Hisfeelingsmusthavebeendeeplywounded，foritwasalmostaweekbeforehecamenearusagain；andthenIthinkthatnothingbutyounglobsterwouldhavebroughthim。Heforgaveusfinally，andmadeusofhispartyinthequarrelhebegangraduallytohavewiththelargeyellowcatofanext-doorneighbor。Thisculminatedoneafternoon，afteralongexchangeofmediaevaldefianceandinsult，inabattleuponabedofrag-
weed，withwildshrieksofrage，andprodigiousfeatsofgroundandloftytumbling。ItseemedtoouranxiouseyesthatJimwasgettingtheworstofit；butwhenweafterwardsvisitedthebattle-fieldandpickedupseveraltuftsofblondfur，wewereinadoubtwhichwasafterwardsheightenedbyJim\'sinvasionoftheyellowcat\'sterritory，wherehestretchedhimselfdefiantlyuponthegrassandseemedtobechallengingtheyellowcattocomeoutandtrytoputhimoffthepremises。