Part 46 (2/2)
”Besides that, I am the sole possessor of a secret which is too perfectly delicious to be true.”
”Do you intend to tell this secret to me?”
”Yes, as soon as it is ripe.”
She caught his hands and whirled him about.
”Oh, Professor, Professor, you ought to be very glad that you are related to me!”
”Bambina, one moment. I dislike being jerked around like a live jumping-jack.”
”It's evident I didn't get my dancing talents from you, old centipede.
Sit down, and I'll dance a joy dance.”
She pushed him on the couch, and began a wild, fantastic dance on the hearth rug before him, the firelight flas.h.i.+ng through the thin, gray draperies. Even the Professor breathed a little faster as the lithe figure swayed and bent and curved into wonderful lines, which melted ever into new ones. It was young, elemental joy, every step of it; s.e.xless, no Bacchante dance, but rather a paeon of ecstasy, such as a dryad might have danced in the woods. At the climax she stood poised, her arms lifted in exultation. Then she dropped beside him.
”My child!” he exclaimed. ”That was most extraordinary! Where did you learn it?”
”Ages back, when I lived in a tree.”
”It must be a happy secret to make you dance like that.”
”Oh,” said she, snuggling up to him, putting her head on his shoulder, ”it is the gayest, pleasantest, hopefulest secret a girl ever had. If I don't hold my hands over my mouth, it will break out of me.”
”Does Jarvis know?”
”Oats, peas, beans, and barley grows, You, nor he, nor n.o.body knows!”
she laughed. ”It's going to be the most amusing moment of my life when I spring it on the two of you.”
”When is that to be?”
”Curiosity is death to mathematicians,” she warned him, nor could he extract another word from behind the hand she held over her laughing mouth.
XX
”Appointment at three o'clock, Tuesday afternoon,” announced Strong's wire on Monday morning.
”Hurray!” shouted Bambi, rus.h.i.+ng into the kitchen to break the news to Ardelia, since the Professor was not there.
”Noo Yawk, bress yo'! Ain't dat fine? Yo' gwine see Mistah Jarvis?”
”Of course I'll see him.”
”Yo' can tote him back home, mebbe.”
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