"It's the monkey, sissy; it's Jovarny's monkey; and his name is
Pantaloons," explained Teddy.
"Pantalon," corrected the monkey's master; and snapping his fingers,
and whistling to the monkey, he called him to his shoulder, and made
him go through a number of tricks and gestures,--some of them so
droll, that Cherry's terror ended in peals of laughter; and she soon
left Teddy's side to run and caper about the room in imitation of
the monkey's antics.
"Does she dance, the little one?" asked Giovanni, watching the
child's lithe movements admiringly.
"Sure, and every step she takes is as good as dancing," said Teddy
evasively.
"Let us see, then."
And the Italian, arranging the stops of his organ, played the pretty
waltz Cherry had so often heard from it, and liked so well.
The child continued her frolicsome motions, unconsciously adapting
them to the music, until she was moving in perfect harmony with it,
although not in the step or figure of a waltz.
"She was born to dance!" exclaimed Giovanni with enthusiasm; and,
moving the stops of the organ, he passed, without pause, into the
gay and airy movement of the cachuca.
As the first tones struck the child's ear, she faltered; then
stopped, turned pale, and listened intently.
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