You haven't the shadow of an excuse for not going,' said the Nilghai.
Torpenhow looked very uncomfortable.

'But it's absurd and impossible.

I can't drag her back by the hair.' 'Our business--the business for which we draw our money--is to do absurd and impossible things,--generally with no reason whatever except to amuse the public.

Here we have a reason.

The rest doesn't matter.