Leonie of the Jungle

by Joan Conquest

  CHAPTER LI

  "When the day breaks and the shadows flee away!"--_The Bible_.

  Jan Cuxson lifted Leonie's face to the light of the moon, and caughthis breath at the sight of the turned back eyes and drooping mouth.

  This was the outcome of it all! _This_ was how she was left to him;saved from physical hurt but with her mind for ever bound by the willof yon dead priest. Hypnotised, mesmerised, to be under the influenceof the Goddess of Destruction until her death; maybe to pass her lifein the security of a padded cell; she, his Leonie, his love, hiswife-to-be.

  He crushed her in fierce despair against his heart as the ground movedgently under his feet, and prayed aloud to his God to bring the rivenwalls down upon them there in the moonlight, that in merciful death theawful fate of his beloved might be lifted from her.

  The only answer to the desperate prayer was silence and shadowsenveloping them like a mantle, and he lifted his stern face to theradiance of the moon, with the light of battle in the grey eyes.

  "I will find a way out, dear heart," he cried, as he turned her facegently against his shoulder. "There is a way and I will find it." Andhe strode as hastily as the masses of fallen stone would allow himtowards the door and the short path which would lead him to the water'sedge and safety.

  As he skirted the half of the fallen altar which lay across the body ofthe priest, he paused for a moment and looked down upon the man who hadwon even in death.

  As he looked the fingers of the out-flung hands twitched, and a violentshiver shook the old frame. Slowly, very slowly the gnarled old armswere gathered in under the breast as inch by inch the Hindu priestraised himself from the floor. The lower limbs were hidden, crushedunder the fallen stone, and the old head hung down between theshoulders, the grey hair tangled in a wreath of jasmin flower.

  He lifted his face, and the dim old eyes looked wistfully up into thegrey ones staring down at him out of the shadows.

  "Thou hast conquered, sahib, thou hast conquered in love," hewhispered. "And she is safe, for behold my--my power--has gone--fromher. I--even I--have not obeyed, and my god--has destroyed me!"

  Lifting his voice he cried aloud and died.

  And as he died Leonie turned her face from the shelter of her lover'sshoulder and closed her eyes, and opening them again laughed sweetly asshe looked up into his face.

  "You, Jan, _you_! Why--whatever has happened, and--why--wherever arewe?" And he looked down into the sweet face and laughed aloud, anexultant, ringing laugh which was caught and echoed and re-echoed fromthe dome until the place seemed filled with the sound of happiness.

  "There has been a bit of an earthquake, dear, and you got hit on thehead by a piece of falling brick. See, sweetheart," and he swept themasses of hair together and twisted it between her head and his coat,"turn your face this way until I have you safely out of here, it's niceand soft, and shut your eyes, darling----"

  "Yes! but," said Leonie, as she turned her face as bidden and closedher eyes with a sigh of great content, "but--but how did we escape?"

  "You were saved, dear!"

  "Saved!--from what? By whom?"

  She tried to turn her head, but he held it pressed close against hisheart.

  "From death--dear heart!"

  "And by whom--tell me--Jan--by whom?"

  Jan Cuxson paused a moment as he looked across towards the still figureof Madhu Krishnaghar stretched peacefully upon the ground.

  "By the whitest man that has ever lived, dear!--by him!"

  And he turned without another word and strode through the temple andout of the gates to the narrow way which led to safety. And where thetrees met in an arch above his head he stopped and looked back, andLeonie, turning her face, passed her hand wonderingly over the tousledmasses of her hair and the silken drapery about her body.

  "Where are we going to? Where are you taking me?"

  He shifted her completely into his left arm, pulled at a golden slenderchain round her neck with his right hand, caught it in his strong whiteteeth and wrenched it in two.

  And he answered her as he flung the jewelled cat's-eye far out into thejungle.

  "To Devon, beloved, to Devon and happiness!"

  And as he closed her red mouth with kisses the earth shook gently underhis feet, and the temple, with a terrific crash, caved in; burying forever the dead priest, the broken image of Kali, the Goddess ofDestruction, and Madhu Krishnaghar, son of princes, her splendid Indianlover.

  THE END