Varjak Paw

As the three friends hurry out of the city, Varjak tells Holly and Cludge about the Gentleman and the black cats. A rainstorm begins as they climb the hill to the Contessa’s house. Varjak is shocked to see that the old stone wall that “once seemed so high and impossible to climb” now looks so small compared to the ones he scaled in the city, and he realizes that he has changed during his time away (191). Varjak feels momentarily devastated when Cludge apologetically explains that he can’t climb. Instead of giving up, the cat feels himself filled with the same “wild power” of the storm” (192). He reassures Cludge and asks Holly to accompany him inside the house. While the dog hides under a tree, the two cats scale the wall, cross the garden, and reach the cat door.

The cat door locks shut behind Varjak and Holly, and he feels nervous when he realizes that the Gentleman has changed things. A mewling sound comes from upstairs, and they hear cats talking further down the corridor. Varjak and Holly split up to investigate.