Leonie of the Jungle | Page 7

to the other
before she bent her head over the dog she had completely surrounded
with her arms.
Jan Cuxson made a movement to end a situation which was bordering
on cruelty when Lady Hetth anticipated him with her customary dire
tactlessness.
"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 this
wonderful being who royally distributed gifts, and live ones at that, and
only hesitated for the barest fraction of a second before, her face
suffused with crimson, she walked up to him.
"Of course if--if you want me to--I'll--I'll kiss you," she said heroically,
unconsciously squeezing the puppy under the stress of the awful
moment until it yelped, "but I'd--I'd wather----" She stopped and 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 hopeful
burst.
"But I'd wather not if you don't mind!"
Lady Hetth frowned and put out her hand, murmuring something about
really having to go.
"I'll send for her and Nannie, Lady Hetth. And keep her out of doors as
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 I
riding big, fat elephants at the Zoo!"
"_You_--and _Jingles_--and me!" said Leonie, disengaging her hand
from her aunt's. "And you," she said sweetly, laying it on the elder
man's coat sleeve.
Heaven had opened wide its gates and she was for pulling everybody in
with her, and her eyes danced, and so did her patent shod feet on the
rug.
"It's too kind of you, Jan!" broke in her aunt. "I really don't like to let
you waste your time with a child!"
"Not at all, Lady Hetth! I love kids--and the Zoo. Where shall I bring
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 the
Club, 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 of
vapid thanks and announcing also that she had shopping to do at
Debenham 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 they
economise when spoiling their clothes and temper in a penny ha'penny
bus, instead of keeping both unruffled in a taxi, at two shillings.
Ellen, returning later triumphantly with a taxi, held wide the door, a
wide and loving smile across her plain face.
"You come too, Sir," said Jan Cuxson. "Do you heaps of good to ride
an elephant!"

"I only wish I could, boy," said the man as he laid one hand on the
shoulder of the son he loved, and the other on Leonie's head. "But I've
much to do in that opium case, and I'm dining out, and shall read a 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 the
hospital----"
"Well! See you in the morning! Good-bye, sweetheart, I won't forget
the book, and just you make that lazy fellow show you everything!"
He bent and kissed Leonie as she lifted her face, which was an
unheard-of thing for her to do, and watched her as, hugging the
struggling dog, she ran down the steps and was lifted into the taxi by
her companion.
With his foot on the step Jan hesitated, then turned and walked back to
his 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 the
younger generation of the present day.
He put out his hand as he spoke and gripped the elder man's hard, then
ran down the steps, jumped in beside Leonie, and turned to wave
hilariously with her as they sped away to the Zoo.
The brain specialist went back thoughtfully to his room, and when he
had closed the door stood for a long time looking out at the little garden
with its one big tree.
"I wonder, I wonder," he mused. "I'd give a good deal to get at that
ayah--well! why not?--I could start for----" He looked round suddenly,
then laughed as he passed his hand over his eyes. "Funny! I thought
someone opened the door."
He moved to his desk and turned over his diary,