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She was bound for the village shop to buy methylated spirits, sugar, blotting-paper, and a 'plaque' of Suchard chocolate for her Cousinenry. The forty centimes for this latter was a large item in her savings; but she gave no thought to that. What sorely perplexed her as she hurried down the street was whether he would like it 'milk' or 'plain. In the end she bought both.
How brilliant their little figures were Jimbo, a soft, pure blue, and Monkey tinged faintly here and there with delicate clear orange. Thus do the little clouds of sunset gather round to see the sun get into bed. And in utter silence; all their intercourse was silent thought, felt, but never spoken. For a moment there was hesitation. Cousinenry was uncertain exactly how to begin.
'This way, called Cousinenry. 'Follow me. They settled down in a group among Madame Jequier's lilacs. 'We'll begin with the Pension des Glycines. Jinny is already busy with La Citadelle. They perched among the opening blossoms. Overhead flashed by the Sweep, the Dustman, and the Laugher, bound for distant ports, perhaps as far as England.
The personality of Cousin Henry Rogers grew into life about them gradually. The result was a curious one that Minks would certainly have resented with indignation. For Cousinenry was, apparently, a business man with pockets full of sovereigns; stern, clever, and important; the sort of man that gets into Governments and things, yet somewhere with the flavour of the clergyman about him.
'Cousinenry, do you sleep very tightly at night, please? Monkey asked it, but Jimbo stepped up nearer to watch the reply. 'Like a top, he said, wondering. Signals he tried vainly to intercept flashed between the pair of them. 'Why do you ask? as nothing further seemed forthcoming. 'Oh, just to know, she explained. 'It's all right. 'Yes, it's quite all right like that, added Jimbo.
'Oh, Cousinenry! She was delighted, comforted, impressed; but perplexity was uppermost. Something in his tone of voice prevented impudent comment from the others. 'And all the stars grow a little brighter, he added. 'The entire universe is glad. 'I shall be a regular company promoter! she exclaimed, nearer to wit than she knew, yet with only the vaguest inkling of what he really meant.
There were blue winds, black winds, and winds violent these of purple and flaming scarlet. They lay down, and Cousinenry made a fire. The smoke went up in thin straight lines of blue, melting into the sky. The sun had set half an hour before, and the flush of gold and pink was fading into twilight. The glamour of Bourcelles dropped down upon all three.
'Cousinenry, he heard close to his ear, so soft it almost might have been those tree-tops whispering to the night, 'do you know anything about a Star Cave a place where the starlight goes when there are no eyes or puddles about to catch it? A Star Cave! How odd! His own boyhood's idea. He must have mentioned it to his cousin perhaps, and he had told the children.
We found Daddy in the fourgon with the baggages, writing a story and laughing making an awful row. 'What did you dream, Cousinenry? asked Monkey, peering into his eyes in the firelight. 'That my feet were cold, because the fire had gone out, he answered, trying in vain to remember whether he had dreamed anything at all. 'And that it's time to go home. I hear the curfew ringing.
And she wondered what she ought to call him. 'Mr. Rogers' was not quite right, yet 'Mr. Cousin Henry' was equally ill-chosen. She decided upon a combination of her own, a kind of code-word that was affectionate yet distant: 'Cousinenry. And she used it with an explosive directness that was almost challenge he could accept which half he chose. But all accepted him at once without fear.
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