“Rather not,” chimed in the Philosophers assembled.
“Of course,” said Langrish, “if whenever you hear of a howling chimpanzee you think you’re being referred to, we can’t help it, can we?”
The cheers which greeted this unanswerable proposition convinced me I had given myself away for once.
”—howling chimpanzee, whose name’s Sarah, put in his oar and spoilt the whole thing.”
“If it hadn’t been for me,” protested I, “you’d none of you have been there at all.”
“The magistrate,” proceeded Langrish, not heeding the interruption, “treated him with the contempt he deserved, and gave him a caution which he’ll remember to the end of his days.”
“I don’t remember it now,” I growled.
“Turn him out for interrupting,” shouted the secretary.
“You’d better not try,” snarled I, preparing to contest my seat. But Langrish, eager to continue, went on,—
“The rest of us pulled Tempest through easy. If Trim hadn’t dropped his ‘h’s,’ and—”