It was a cold,rain-washed afternoon in late August.Lady Blemley and her guests were sitting round the teatable.Everyone was listening open-mouthed to Mr Cornelius Appin.
Althought he was one of her guests,Lady Blemley did not know Mr Appin well.She had invited him to stay at Blemley House because she had heard that he was clever.But until teatime that day he had not done or said anyting clever.He did not play tennis,or sing,or
make intelligent conversation.But now Mr Appin was describing a most extraordinary discovery and the other guests were listening with deep interest.'Are you telling us that you have found a way of teaching animals to talk?'Sir Wilfrid was saying.'And our dear
old Tobermory is your first successful student?'
'I have studied this problem for seventeen years,'said My Appin,'but I didn't have any real success until eight or nine months ago.Of course,I have studied thousands of animals,but recently I have worked only with cats.A cat,of course,is a wild animal who agrees
to live with you.All cats are intelligent,but naturally some cats are more intelligent than others.When I met Tobermory a week ago,I realized at once that here was an extraordinarily intelligent cat,a very special cat indeed.In Tobermory,I found the student
I needed.Withi him I have succeeded in my plan.'
Nobody laughed,and nobody actually said'Rubbish',althought Clover's lips moved silently...
'And have you really taught Tobermory,'asked Miss Resker,'to say and understand short,easy words?'
'My dear Miss Resker,'said Mr Appin patiently,'we teach little children and very slow,stupid adults in that way.But Tobermory is a most intelligent cat.He can speak English as well as you or I can.'
This time Clovis said'Rubbish!'aloud.
Sir Wilfrid was more polite,but it was clear that he didn't believe Mr Appin's story.'
'Shall we bring the cat in here nad hear him for ourselves?'said Lady Blemley.
Sir Wilfrid went off ot look for Tobermory.
'Mr Appin will try to be clever,'said Miss Resker happily,'but if we watch him carefully,we shall see his lips move.'
In a minute Sir Wilfrid returned,looking very excited.
'It's true,you know!'he said.'I found Tobermory sleeping in the smoking-room,and called out to him to come for this tea.He lifted his head and opened one eye.I said,"Come one,Toby,don't sleep us waiting!"and he said calmly,"I'll come when I'm ready!"I couldn't
believe my ears!'
The guests all started talking at once,while Mr Appin satsilently and looked very pleased with himself indeed.
Then Tobermory entered the room and calmly walked over to the tea table.The conversation stopped.Nobody knew what to say to a talking cat.At last Lady Blemley spoke:
'Would you like some milk,Tobermory?'she asked in a high,unnatural voice.
'I don't mind if I do,'answered Tobermory.Lady Blemley's hand shook with excitemtne and some of the milk went onto the carpet.
'Oh dear,I'm so sorry,'she said.'
'I don't mind.It isn't my carpet,after all,'replied Tobermory.
There was another silence,then Miss Resker asked politely,'Did you find it difficult to learn English,Tobermory?'
Tobermory looked straight through her with his birght green eyes.Clearly,he did not answer questions that did not interest him.
'What do you think of the intelligence of people?'asked Mavis Pellington.
'Which people's intelligence?'asked Tobermory coldly.
'Well,my intelligence,for example,'said Mavis with a little laugh.
'You make things very uncomfortable for me,'said Tobermory,although he did not look at all uncomfortable.'When Lady Blemley wanted to invite you here,Sir Wilfrid was not pleased."Mavis Pellington is the stupidest woman I know," he said."That's why I want to
invite her,"Lady Blemley replied."I want her to buy my old car,and she's stupid enough to do that."'
'It isn't true!'cried Lady Blemley.'Don't believe him,Mavis!'
'If it isn't true,'said Mavis coldly,'why did you say this morning that your care would be jusr right for me?'
Major Barfield did his best to help.He tried to stard a new conversation.'How are you getting on with your little black and white lady friend in the garden?'he asked Tobermory.
Everybody realized at once that this was a mistake.
Tobermory gave him an icy look.'We do not usually discuss these things in polite company,'he said.'But I have watched you a little since you have been in this house.I think perhaps you would not like me to discuss your lady friends.'
The Major's face became very red,and all the other guests began to look worried and uncomfortable.What was Tobermory going to say next?'
'Would you like to go down to the kitchen now,Tobermory,'asked Lady Blemley politely,'and see if the cook has got your dinner ready?'
'No,thank you,'said Tobermory.'I've only just had my tea.I don't want to make myself sick.'
'Cats have nine lives,you know,'said Sir Wilfrid with a laugh.
'Possibly,'answered Tobermory.'But only one stomach.'
'Lady Blemly!'cried Mrs Cornstt,'Don't send that cat to the kitchen.He will talk about us to the cook!'
Everyone was ery worried now.They remembered uncomfortable that Tobermory moved freely all over the house and gardens,at all hours of the day and night.He could look into any of the bedrooms if he wanted to.What had he seen?'What had he heard?Nobody's secret
were safe now.
'Oh,why did I come here?'cried Agnes Resker,who could never stay silent for long.
'You know very well why you come here,'said Tobermory immediately.'You come for the food,of course.I heard you talking to Mrs Cornett in the garden.You said that the Blemleys were terribly boring people,but they had an excellent cook.'
'You mustn't believe him!'cried Agnes.'I never said that,did I,Mrs Cornett?'
'Later,Mrs Cornett repeated your words to Bertie vanTahn,'said Tobermory.'She said,"That Resker woman will go anywhere for four good meals a day,and Bertie said-'
Just then Tobermory looked out of the window and saw the doctor's big yellow cat crossing the garden.Immediately he disappeared through the open window.
Everyone started talking at once,and Mr Appin found himself in a storm of angry questions.
'You must stop this at once,'everyone said to him.'What will happen if Tobermory teachers othere cat to talk?We shall never have a moment's peace!'
'It's possible that he had taught the garden's cat,'replied Mr Appin thoughtfully,'but I don't believe he has had time to teach any other cats.'
'Then,'said Mrs Cornett,'althgoth Tobermory is a valuable cat,he ahd teh garden's cat must die.Don't you agree,Lady Blemley?'
'You are right,'said Lady Blemly sadly.'My husband and I love Tobermory-well,we did before this afternoon-but now,of course,he must dis as soon as possible.'We will poison his dinner,'said Sir Wilfrid,'and I will kill the garden's cat myself.The gardener won't
like it,but I'll say it had some kind of disease-'
'But what about my discovery?'cried Mr Appin.'What about all my years of work?Are you going to destroy my only successful student?'
'You can to and teach the cows on the farm,'said Mrs Cornett coldly,'or the elephants at the zoo.'Elephants are very intelligent,they tell me,and elephants don't hide behind chairs or under beds and listen to people;s conversations.'Mr Appin knew when he was
beaten.
Dinner that evening was not a success.Sir Wilfrid had had a difficult time with the gardener's cat and later with the gardener.Agnes Resker refused to eat anything,while Mavis Pellington ate her meal in silence.Everyone was waiting for Tobermory.A plate of
poisoned fish stood ready for him in the dinning-room,but he did not come home.Nobody talked much,and nobody laughed.It was a most uncomfortable meal.
After dinner the Blemleys and their guests sat in the somking-room.Everyone was quiet and worried and nobody wanted to play cards.At eleven o'clock the cook and the housekeeper went to bed.They left the kitchen window open for Tobermory as usual,but he did
not come.
At two o'clock Clovis spoke:
'He won't come home tonight.He's probably in the newspaper office selling them his story.They'll love it.They story will be the excitement of the year.'
After that everyone went to bed,but nobody slept.
In the morning Tobermory had still not come home.
Breakfast was another quiet,uncomfortable meal.Then,half-way through the coffee,the gardener brought in Tobermory's blood-stained body.
'Look at this claws!'cried Clovis.'He's been fighting!'And there,on Tobermory' claws,was the yellow hair of the doctor's cat.
Tobermory was Mr Appin's only successful student.A few weeks after Tobermory's death an elephant escaped from the Dresden Zoo and killed an English visitor
The Zoo keeper said that the elephant had always been a calm and gentle animal before.But suddenly it seemed to become very angry with the English visitor,who was talking to it.
The dead man's name was reported in the newspaper as Oppin,but his first name was Cornelius.
'If Appin was trying to teach the poor elephant to speak German,'said Clovis,'I'm not surprised it killed him.'