"No, I don't," she replied. "But I want you to see that while we're about it we may as well be thorough. If at the present moment we have a name which is disliked here, how much wiser, when taking another, to choose one which is popular!"
"True," Mr. Blumenbach said. "But 'Kitchener.' Isn't that——"
"Too far? Perhaps so," said his wife. "Then what about 'French'?"
"A little too short," said her husband. "I favour three syllables."
"Then 'Smith-Dorrien'?"
"Oh, let's be shy of hyphens," he replied.
"Why?" she asked. "I've always had rather a partiality for them. They're very classy in England, too, as you would know if you were as English as I am."
"I am English!" said Mr. Blumenbach fiercely.
"Yes, dear, but not quite so—— Still, let us pass that over. The point is——"
"No hyphens, anyway," said Mr. Blumenbach. "They're dangerous. They carry too much family history. No, a straightforward plain name is best. Like, say, 'Macdonald.'"