“What a commotion!” exclaimed Sophy, amused.
Her voice, penetrating the shut library door, reached the sharp ears of Tina, who, during her absence from the house, had attached herself to Mr. Rivenhall. She at once demanded to be allowed to rejoin her mistress, and her insistence brought Mr. Rivenhall upon the scene, for he was obliged to open the door for her. Perceiving that a large part of his family appeared to be assembled in the hall, he somewhat coldly inquired the reason. Before anyone could answer him, Amabel, in the basement, gave a warning shriek, Jacko suddenly erupted into the hall from the nether regions, gibbered at the sight of Tina, and swarmed up the window curtains to a place of safety well out of anyone’s reach. Amabel then came storming up the basement stairs, closely followed by the housekeeper, who at once lodged an impassioned protest with Mr. Rivenhall. The dratted monkey, she said, had wantonly destroyed two of the best dish cloths and had scattered a bowl of raisins all over the kitchen floor.
“If that damned monkey cannot be controlled,” said Mr. Rivenhall, making no apology for the violence of his language, “it must be got rid of!”
Theodore, Gertrude, and Amabel at once burst into a spirited accusation against Hubert, who, they averred, had wantonly teased Jacko. Hubert, conscious of a rent coat pocket, retired into the background, and Mr. Rivenhall, eyeing his juniors with revulsion, walked forward to the window, and held up his hand, saying calmly, “Come along!”
Jacko’s reply to this, though voluble, was incomprehensible. His general attitude, however, was contumacious, so that everyone was surprised when, upon Mr. Rivenhall’s repeating his command, he began to descend the curtain. Tina, in wholehearted agreement with Dassett and the housekeeper on the undesirability of monkeys in noblemen’s residences, caused a slight setback by barking, but Sophy snatched her up and muffled her before Jacko had had time to retreat again to the top of the window. Mr. Rivenhall, acidly requesting his audience to refrain from making any noise or sudden movement, again commanded Jacko to come down. Jacko satisfied that Tina was under strong guard, reluctantly descended, allowed himself to be seized, and clasped both skinny arms round Mr. Rivenhall’s neck. Unimpressed by this mark of affection, Mr. Rivenhall detached him, handed him over to Gertrude, and warned her not to permit him to escape again. The schoolroom party then withdrew circumspectly, scarcely able to believe that their pet was not to be wrested from them; and Sophy, smiling warmly upon Mr. Rivenhall, said, “Thank you. There is some magic in you which makes all animals trust you, I think. When I am most vexed with you I cannot but remember it!”
“The only magic, Cousin, lay in not alarming an already frightened animal,” he replied dampingly, and went back into the library and shut the door.
“Phew!” uttered Hubert, emerging from the embrasure at the head of the basement stairs. “Sophy, only look what that dashed brute has done to my new coat!”
“Give it to me! I’ll mend it for you — and for heaven’s sake, you wretched creature, don’t kick up any more larks today!” said Sophy.
He grinned at her, stripped off the coat, and handed it to her. “What did happen last night?” he asked. “Don’t know when I’ve seen my father in such a taking! Is Cecilia going to marry Fawnhope?”
“Ask her!” Sophy advised him. “I will have your coat ready for you in twenty minutes. Come to my room then, and you shall have it!”