"That is Hamdi." "Is there any disreputable foreigner that you are not familiar with ?" I asked, somewhat sarcastically.
"I hope not," he laughed.

"You must know I had got into a deuce of a row at Aleppo, about eighteen months ago, and had to take to my heels.
Alexandretta is the port of Aleppo and Hamdi is a sort of boss policeman there." "He is very rich." "He ought to be.

My interview with him cost me a thousand pounds--the bald-headed scoundrel!" "He is a shocking bad man," said Carlotta, gravely.
"I'm afraid it is Mr.Pasquale who is the shocking bad man," I said, amused.

"What had you been doing in Aleppo ?" "_Maxime debetur_," said he.
"English are very wicked when they go to Syria," she remarked.
"How can you possibly know ?" I said.
"Oh, I know," replied Carlotta, with a toss of her chin.
"My friend," said Pasquale, lighting a cigarette, "I have travelled much in the East, and have had considerable adventures by the way; and I can assure you that what the oriental lady doesn't know about essential things is not worth knowing.

Their life from the cradle to the grave is a concentration of all their faculties, mortal and immortal, upon the two vital questions, digestion and sex." "What is sex ?" asked Carlotta.
"It is the Fundamental Blunder of Creation," said I.
"I do not understand," said Carlotta.
"Nobody tries to understand Sir Marcus," said Pasquale, cheerfully.