The accent was clumsy for a man so well versed in tongues.

"Yes, I will give you money at the right time.

Tell me no lies now! There will be letters coming from people you never saw, and I shall know whether or not you lie to me! You say there are three of the fools ?" "Yes, bwana.

There were four, but one going home--big lord gentleman, him having black m'stache, gone home." There was no mistaking Hassan's voice.

No doubt he could speak his mother tongue softly enough, but in common with a host of other people he seemed to imagine that to make himself understood in English he must shout.
"Why did he go home ?" "I don't know, bwana." "Did they quarrel ?" "Sijui."* [* Sijui, I don't know: the most aggravating word In Africa, except perhaps bado kidogo, which means "presently," "bye and bye," "in a little while." "Don't you dare say 'sijui' to me!" "Maybe they quarrel, maybe not.