whereas the dog strives to lessen the distance between himself and man, seeks ever to be intelligent and intelligible, and translates into looks and actions the words he cannot speak, the cat dwells within the circle of her own secret thoughts.

The vanity of man revolts from the serene indifference of the cat.

Cats, even when robust, have scant liking for the boisterous society of children, and are apt to exert their utmost ingenuity to escape it. Nor are they without adult sympathy in their prejudice.

It is not the office of a novelist to show us how to behave ourselves; it is not the business of fiction to teach us anything.

For my part, the good novel of character is the novel I can always pick up; but the good novel of incident is the novel I can never lay down.

There is nothing in the world so enjoyable as a thorough-going monomania.

Sleep sweetly in the fields of asphodel, and waken, as of old, to stretch thy languid length, and purr thy soft contentment to the skies.