Now in a crisis he had small choice but to establish himself as loyal to the stronger side.
He hurriedly wrote a number at the bottom of the letter, and another followed by three capitals and three more figures at the top.
"Seal it up and send it--quick!" I ordered him.
He obeyed and Jeremy called the servant.
"Summon Francois," said the banker, and the servant disappeared again.
Francois must remain a mystery.

He was insoluble.

Dressed in a pair of baggy Turkish pants, with a red sash round his middle, knotted loosely over a woollen jersey that had wide horizontal black and yellow strips, with a grey woollen shawl over the lot, and a new tarboosh a size or two too small for him perched at an angle on his head, he stood shifting from one bare foot to the other and moved a toothless gap in his lower face in what was presumably a smile.
He had no nose that you could recognize, although there were two blow- holes in place of nostrils with a hideous long scar above them.

One ear was missing.

He had no eyebrows.