Leonie of the Jungle

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Leonie of the Jungle Page 5

by Joan Conquest


  CHAPTER V

  "The liberal soul shall be made fat."--_The Bible_.

  "Well! well! well!"

  Sir Jonathan walked over to the child and knelt down beside her as themaid rose and straightened her crumpled apron.

  "Let me have the doggie, darling!"

  "No!--no!--_no_! I--I love him. He's all soft and cuddley. I want tohold him for jus' a little, little longer!"

  The child's voice was shrill with excitement as she pulled back fromthe encircling arms, her lips quivering, her eyes staring distractedlyfirst at the younger man then at the dog.

  "Would you like to have Jingles, kiddie?"

  The change in the child's face was electrifying, and Sir Jonathan,rising with his eyes fixed upon her, touched his son's arm to draw hisattention to it.

  Tears like dewdrops on brown pansy petals hung heavily from the lashes,but the corners of the mouth turned up in an adorable smile, and wavesof gratitude and delight swept up from chin to brow obliterating theagony of the past hours.

  "For _me_--to _keep_?" she whispered, as she stood on her toes in aninstinctive effort to make the body reach and unite with the mind atthe highest point of this most perfect moment, whilst her little breastheaved with the repressed sobs of her fully laden heart.

  "Yes! for keeps, little one!"

  The three elders stood silently, the specialist watching intently thelight which kindled in the child's eyes as she looked from one to theother before she bent her head over the dog she had completelysurrounded with her arms.

  Jan Cuxson made a movement to end a situation which was bordering oncruelty when Lady Hetth anticipated him with her customary diretactlessness.

  "There now, Leonie! _Now_ perhaps you'll be satisfied. Give Mr.Cuxson a kiss and say thank you nicely!"

  Leonie would have cheerfully put her hand in the fire to serve thiswonderful being who royally distributed gifts, and _live_ ones at that,and only hesitated for the barest fraction of a second before, her facesuffused with crimson, she walked up to him.

  "Of course if--if you want me to--I'll--I'll kiss you," she saidheroically, unconsciously squeezing the puppy under the stress of theawful moment until it yelped, "but I'd--I'd wather----" She stoppedand looked up hurriedly into the understanding face of the elder man.

  He nodded as he caught her eye so that she finished all in a hopefulburst.

  "But I'd wather not if you don't mind!"

  Lady Hetth frowned and put out her hand, murmuring something aboutreally having to go.

  "I'll send for her and Nannie, Lady Hetth. And keep her out of doorsas much as possible. Why don't you take her to the Zoo this afternoon?"

  "I couldn't _possibly_!" came the prompt and irritable reply.

  "What about me!" interrupted Jan Cuxson. "Eh! kiddie? You and Iriding big, fat elephants at the Zoo!"

  "_You_--and _Jingles_--and _me_!" said Leonie, disengaging her handfrom her aunt's. "And you," she said sweetly, laying it on the elderman's coat sleeve.

  Heaven had opened wide its gates and she was for pulling everybody inwith her, and her eyes danced, and so did her patent shod feet on therug.

  "It's _too_ kind of you, Jan!" broke in her aunt. "I really don't liketo let you waste your time with a child!"

  "Not at all, Lady Hetth! I love kids--and the Zoo. Where shall Ibring her to afterwards?"

  "Oh! Yes! bring her to the Ladies' Union Club where I am staying. No!you'd better take her to her Nannie as they don't allow children in theClub, thank goodness. They are staying in York Street, Baker Street,quite convenient for you."

  She trailed through the door as she spoke, pouring out a cascade ofvapid thanks and announcing also that she had shopping to do atDebenham and Freebody's.

  She hadn't, she was going to catch an omnibus in Cavendish Square,being of those who, blindly extravagant in most things, think theyeconomise when spoiling their clothes and temper in a penny ha'pennybus, instead of keeping both unruffled in a taxi, at two shillings.

  Ellen, returning later triumphantly with a taxi, held wide the door, awide and loving smile across her plain face.

  "You come too, Sir," said Jan Cuxson. "Do you heaps of good to ride anelephant!"

  "I only wish I could, boy," said the man as he laid one hand on theshoulder of the son he loved, and the other on Leonie's head. "ButI've much to do in that opium case, and I'm dining out, and shall reada bit when I get back----"

  "And I'm dining out too, more's the nuisance, otherwise I could help.Sure to be awfully late as it's a farewell dinner to a fellow at thehospital----"

  "Well! See you in the morning! Good-bye, sweetheart, I won't forgetthe book, and just you make that lazy fellow show you everything!"

  He bent and kissed Leonie as she lifted her face, which was anunheard-of thing for her to do, and watched her as, hugging thestruggling dog, she ran down the steps and was lifted into the taxi byher companion.

  With his foot on the step Jan hesitated, then turned and walked back tohis father.

  "I don't know why. Sir, but I do wish you'd come too," he said slowly,looking at the man he loved with a love past the comprehension of theyounger generation of the present day.

  He put out his hand as he spoke and gripped the elder man's hard, thenran down the steps, jumped in beside Leonie, and turned to wavehilariously with her as they sped away to the Zoo.

  The brain specialist went back thoughtfully to his room, and when hehad closed the door stood for a long time looking out at the littlegarden with its one big tree.

  "I wonder, I _wonder_," he mused. "I'd give a good deal to get at thatayah--well! why not?--I could start for----" He looked round suddenly,then laughed as he passed his hand over his eyes. "Funny! I thoughtsomeone opened the door."

  He moved to his desk and turned over his diary, showing blank pageafter blank page.

  "Strange," he muttered. "There is nothing written down after to-day,not a single engagement. I must have entered them in some other book;very careless of me."

 

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