It was fortunate that he hated Wagner.

Before the end of the act he was joined by Mr.
Rodney, horribly bored and eager for relief.

In a near-by _cafe_ they had a whiskey and soda apiece, and, feeling comfortably reinforced, returned to the opera house arm-in-arm, long and short, thin and fat, liberally discoursing upon the intellectuality of Herr Wagner.
"Say, you're not at all like an Englishman," exclaimed Mr.Rodney impulsively, even gratefully.
"Eh, what ?" gasped Brock, replacing his eyeglass.

"Oh, I say, now, 'pon my word, haw, haw!" "You've got an American sense of humour, Medcroft, that's what you have.
You recognise the joke that Wagner played on the world.

Pardon me for saying it, sir, but I didn't think it was in an Englishman." "Haw, haw! Ripping, by Jove! No, no! Not you.