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

The child's voice was shrill with excitement as she pulled back from
the encircling arms, her lips quivering, her eyes staring distractedly
first 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 his
attention 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 waves
of gratitude and delight swept up from chin to brow obliterating the
agony of the past hours.

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

"Yes! for keeps, little one!"

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