“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Julius Caesar Act 1 scene 2.

There are those who agree with Cassius that we are in charge of our own destiny

And then there are those like T.S.Eliot better grounded in reality who understand that we are all at the mercy of mysteries over which we have no control.

Eliot understood the unseen force behind every crime, misdemeanor, and domestic discord. This is the Hidden Paw Theory (HPT) of life and crime and we would all be well-advised to give it some serious thought.

Take Macavity for example;

Macavity’s a Mystery Cat: he’s called the Hidden Paw—
For he’s the master criminal who can defy the Law.
He’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s despair:
For when they reach the scene of crime—Macavity’s not there!
….

He’s outwardly respectable. (They say he cheats at cards.)
And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard’s
And when the larder’s looted, or the jewel-case is rifled,
Or when the milk is missing, or another Peke’s been stifled,
Or the greenhouse glass is broken, and the trellis past repair
Ay, there’s the wonder of the thing! Macavity’s not there!

And when the Foreign Office find a Treaty’s gone astray,
Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way,
There may be a scrap of paper in the hall or on the stair—
But it’s useless to investigate—Macavity’s not there!
And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service say:
It must have been Macavity!’—but he’s a mile away.
You’ll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumb;
Or engaged in doing complicated long division sums.

Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,
There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.
He always has an alibi, and one or two to spare:
At whatever time the deed took place—MACAVITY WASN’T THERE !
And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known
(I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone)
Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time
Just controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime!

The Old Masters Knew This

We may find ourselves contemplating the work of a Dutch master of the 17th century – Nicolaes Maes – and admiring the composition and the storytelling capacity of a scene.

This is The Eavesdropper (1657), one of a series of such paintings – an interior with views into other spaces inside and out. This eavesdropper – presumably the lady of the house with her empty wine glass in hand and fur-trimmed outfit – spies gleefully on the servant in romantic dalliance with an admirer. Upstairs the family wait to be served. As onlookers, we become her accomplice in spying. 

And spot the hidden paw! The cat? Where’s the cat? On a table to the right, eating – presumably – what the maid should be serving.

Moral education and entertainment at their best!

There’s a Nazi-era story about this painting: Suit Accuses Dutch Museums of Holding On to Nazi-Tainted Art

More Immorality and Domestic Discord

Here’s another example of the Hidden Paw in art history. More immorality and another cat.

Why is it that cats insert themselves so into art?  What does it all mean?

There’s an interesting and detailed account of the symbolism in this painting available at the Tate but just focus on the cat toying with an injured bird. Enough said.

“In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” ― Terry Pratchett