`Not like cats!' cried the Mouse, in a shrill, passionate voice.
`Would YOU like cats if you were me?'
`Well, perhaps not,' said Alice in a soothing tone:
`don't be angry about it.
And yet I wish I could show you our cat Dinah:
I think you'd take a fancy to cats if you could only see her.
She is such a dear quiet thing,'
Alice went on, half to herself, as she swam lazily about in the pool,
`and she sits purring so nicely by the fire, licking her paws and washing her face
--and she is such a nice soft thing to nurse
--and she's such a capital one for catching mice
--oh, I beg your pardon!' cried Alice again,
for this time the Mouse was bristling all over, and she felt certain it must be really offended.
`We won't talk about her any more if you'd rather not.'
`We indeed!' cried the Mouse, who was trembling down to the end of his tail.
`As if I would talk on such a subject!
Our family always HATED cats: nasty, low, vulgar things!
Don't let me hear the name again!'
`I won't indeed!' said Alice, in a great hurry to change the subject of conversation.
`Are you--are you fond--of--of dogs?'
The Mouse did not answer, so Alice went on eagerly:
`There is such a nice little dog near our house I should like to show you!