"All right, now tease away," said Ben.
"But I do want to see that monkey dreadfully," said Jasper, returning to the charge with renewed effort when he saw that his last unfortunate remark was perfectly understood; "it would be just the way to make me entirely well."
"I do believe it would, Ben," said Polly, whirling around to him, "be the very best thing, as Jasper says. Oh, do let's bring him up." She flew off from her hassock to rush to the door.
"Well, I can fetch him, as far as that goes," said Ben, getting up slowly from his hassock. "If that monkey has got to come, why, I'll bring him."
"Good for you!" shouted Jasper, in huge delight, and clapping his hands together.
"But I warn you, he's a perfect—tempest," said Ben, moving off to join Polly. "You don't need to go, Polly," he said; "I'll bring him."
"But I can do it much better," said Polly, "because he knows me, Ben, and you've only seen him once."
"And that was quite enough for both the monkey and me," said Ben, with a little laugh. "Well, prepare yourself to receive Jocko," he tossed back over his shoulder to Jasper; "and don't blame me if he's too much for you."
"I won't blame you," promised Jasper, in huge delight; then he doubled up one of his pillows and tossed it across the room, to give vent to his feelings, as Polly and Ben ran off downstairs to do his bidding.
It was all he could do to wait with even a show of patience, yet they did it very quickly, considering the distance that had to be run over, and the little formality to be gone through with of detaching Jocko from a plate of cake bits that one of the maids had just left with him.