"It is all over--it always is all over at just this time. Listen, the
Miller is going to bed--as usual. Nothing has occurred," said the Cat.
Something creaked in the house where the pig-styes had stood, as metal
engaged on metal with a clink and a burr.
"Shall I turn her on?" cried the Miller.
"Ay," said the voice from the dynamo-house.
"A human in Mangles' new house!" the Rat squeaked.
"What of it?" said the Grey Cat. "Even supposing Mr. Mangles' cats'-meat-
coloured hovel ululated with humans, can't you see for yourself--that--?"
There was a solid crash of released waters leaping upon the wheel more
furiously than ever, a grinding of cogs, a hum like the hum of a hornet,
and then the unvisited darkness of the old mill was scattered by
intolerable white light. It threw up every cobweb, every burl and knot in
the beams and the floor; till the shadows behind the flakes of rough
plaster on the wall lay clear-cut as shadows of mountains on the
photographed moon.
"See! See! See!" hissed the Waters in full flood. "Yes, see for
yourselves. Nothing has occurred. Can't you see?"
The Rat, amazed, had fallen from his foothold and lay half-stunned on the
floor. The Cat, following her instinct, leaped nigh to the ceiling, and
with flattened ears and bared teeth backed in a corner ready to fight
whatever terror might be loosed on her. But nothing happened. Through the
long aching minutes nothing whatever happened, and her wire-brush tail
returned slowly to its proper shape.
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