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"Around my neck, you think?"

"Perfect," Roderick said, and draped thearde blushed, briefly Then she said, "I'll go through the undercroft and up the steps to the narthex I'm not too late, a down the aisle "No," said Ignatious "But better hurry!"

They followed Hildegarde as she h, up the steps The final participants in the procession were just starting down the aisle: a pair of perfectlyon either side of a wo after the blessing," Ignatious pointed out to Hildegarde in a worried voice, "except the pony--they took the pony outside But everyone else is sitting in the pews! Birds and bunnies and dogs--and cats! Lots and lots of cats!"

"Oh, do be careful, dear," Roderick said, wringing his paws

Hildegarde waited until the pair of poodles was halfway down the aisle Impulsively she kissed Roderick on his cheek, just where his whiskers began Then she took a deep breath And solean to walk

No one noticed

Father Murphy continued:

"Dear Lord, keep us mindful that we are

all Thy creation, that we share this earth

and its bounty" He leaned down and blessed the poodles, one at a time

Next he picked up the container of holy oil and recorked it Then he began to conclude the prayer:

"and that man and Thy creatures can

live in peace with one another" "Look!" called out a very little boy wearing corduroy overalls He stood up in a pew, and with one pudgy finger pointed to the floor of the center aisle There was a stir in the congregation People looked where the child was indicating Several stood One lady said "Eeek" very softly Butat an even and reverent pace Very carefully, so as not to disturb her gumdrop, she turned her head slowly froation

A low, ruan

Father Murphy, confused at first by the suddennoise, looked up, then around, and finally down Hildegarde was standing in front of hiently and picked her up

It was terrifying To be within a huarde breathed deeply and fought off her fear She had, after all, in the past few days, led a successful exodus of more than two hundred mice to Outdoors and saved them all from the Great X She had kissed dear old Roderick for the very first time And on top of that, she had rescued Lucretia, which had been not at all easy!