“ No, he prefers his own name,” said Somers.
“ But supposing now,” said Kangaroo, as if alert and interested, “your name was Cooley: Benjamin Cooley—Ben, for short. You’d prefer even Kangaroo to that.”
“ In Australia the kangaroo is the king of beasts,” said Somers.
“ The kangaroo is the king of beasts,
Inviting the other ones out to feasts ,”
sang the big man, continuing: “Won’t you both come to dinner with the king of beasts? Won’t you come too, Mrs Somers?”
“ You know you only want Lovat, to talk your man’s stuff.”
“ I’m not a man, I’m a kangaroo. Besides, yesterday I hadn’t seen you. If I had known, my dear Somers, that your wife, who is at this moment in her room hastily changing her dress, was such a beautiful person—I don’t say woman merely—I’d
