Suddenly he looked up.
"Well, cat, what are you thinking about now?
won't speak?
eh?
Now, tell me; don't you think it's a monstrous shame that these two scoundrels, Jack and Ralph, should keep us waiting for our supper so long ?" Here the cat arose, put up its back and stretched itself; yawned slightly, and licked the point of Peterkin's nose! "Just so, old boy, you're a clever fellow,--I really do believe the brute understands me!" said Peterkin, while a broad grin overspread his face, as he drew back and surveyed the cat.
At this point Jack burst into a loud fit of laughter.

The cat uttered an angry fuff and fled, while Peterkin sprang up and exclaimed,-- "Bad luck to you, Jack! you've nearly made the heart jump out of my body, you have." "Perhaps I have," replied Jack, laughing, as we entered the bower, "but, as I don't intend to keep you or the cat any longer from your supper, I hope that you'll both forgive me." Peterkin endeavoured to turn this affair off with a laugh, but I observed that he blushed very deeply at the time we discovered ourselves, and he did not seem to relish any allusion to the subject afterwards; so we refrained from remarking on it ever after,--though it tickled us not a little at the time.
After supper we retired to rest and to dream of wonderful adventures in our little boat, and distant voyages upon the sea..