"I am proud to be called so," he said.
As she passed back into the bungalow her heart fluttered within her like the wings of a bird mounting upwards in the dawning. The sun had risen upon the desert.
CHAPTER XII
THE BLUE JAY
"Tommy says his name is Sprinter; but Uncle St. Bernard calls him Whisky. I wonder which is the prettiest," said Tessa.
"I should call him Whisky out of compliment to Uncle St. Bernard," said Mrs. Ralston.
"He certainly does whisk," said Tessa. "But then—Tommy gave him to me." She spoke with tender eyes upon a young mongoose that gambolled at her feet. "Isn't he a love?" she said. "But he isn't nearly so pretty as darling Scooter," she added loyally. "Is he, Aunt Mary?"
"Not yet, dear," said Mrs. Ralston with a smile.