Jim's menagerie o wild beasts is as numerous as ever, I see.

He would have liked to be in Noah's Ark." "And so would you and I, Mr.Buckley," she answered, laughing, "if we had been caught in the flood." Good gracious! Think of being in Noah's Ark with her.
"You find them a little troublesome, don't you, Miss Brentwood ?" "Well, it requires a good deal of administrative faculty to keep the kitten and the puppy from open collision, and to prevent the magpie from pecking out the cockatoo's eye and hiding it in the flower bed.
Last Sunday morning he (the magpie) got into my father's room, and stole thirty-one shillings and sixpence.

We got it all back but half a sovereign, and that we shall never see." The bird thus alluded to broke into a gush of melody, so rich, full, and metallic, that they both turned to look at him.

Having attracted attention, he began dancing, crooning a little song to himself, as though he would say, "I know where it is." And lastly he puffed out his breast, put back his bill, and swore two or three oaths that would have disgraced a London scavenger, with such remarkable distinctness too, that there was no misunderstanding him; so Sam's affectation of not having caught what the bird said, was a dead failure.
"Mr.Buckley," said she, "if you will excuse me I will go and see about lunch.

Can you amuse yourself there for half an hour ?" Well, he would try.