Victorian Christmas Card: Saint Nicholas with Children & Black Cat

What exactly is this figure in the pointed two-toned red and gold hat doing wagging a finger directly in the faces of three children in nightclothes? Dressed in an ermine-trimmed red robe with the general energy of a medieval bishop who lost a bet, this character looms over the clustered children in varying states of wide-eyed terror — a gesture that reads less 'Merry Christmas' and more 'I have documentation of what you did.' A small black cat stands with them, clearly having seen things. A single candle on the tiled floor provides the only light, because apparently this festive visitation required maximum dramatic atmosphere and minimum visibility. The fact that someone looked at this scene — a large cloaked figure cornering pajama-clad children by candlelight — and thought 'greeting card,' is the most unsettling detail of all.