At last he gave them a slight push.
"The state of affairs you expose there is assumed to exist as the first condition of your employment.

What is required at present is not writing, but the bringing to light of a distinct, significant fact--I would almost say of an alarming fact." "I need not say that all my endeavours shall be directed to that end," Mr Verloc said, with convinced modulations in his conversational husky tone.
But the sense of being blinked at watchfully behind the blind glitter of these eye-glasses on the other side of the table disconcerted him.

He stopped short with a gesture of absolute devotion.

The useful, hard-working, if obscure member of the Embassy had an air of being impressed by some newly-born thought.
"You are very corpulent," he said.
This observation, really of a psychological nature, and advanced with the modest hesitation of an officeman more familiar with ink and paper than with the requirements of active life, stung Mr Verloc in the manner of a rude personal remark.

He stepped back a pace.
"Eh?
What were you pleased to say ?" he exclaimed, with husky resentment.
The Chancelier d'Ambassade entrusted with the conduct of this interview seemed to find it too much for him.
"I think," he said, "that you had better see Mr Vladimir.