But Mr Verloc knew his business, and remained undisturbed by any sort of aesthetic doubt about his appearance.

With a firm, steady-eyed impudence, which seemed to hold back the threat of some abominable menace, he would proceed to sell over the counter some object looking obviously and scandalously not worth the money which passed in the transaction: a small cardboard box with apparently nothing inside, for instance, or one of those carefully closed yellow flimsy envelopes, or a soiled volume in paper covers with a promising title.

Now and then it happened that one of the faded, yellow dancing girls would get sold to an amateur, as though she had been alive and young.
Sometimes it was Mrs Verloc who would appear at the call of the cracked bell.

Winnie Verloc was a young woman with a full bust, in a tight bodice, and with broad hips.

Her hair was very tidy.