A woman veiled in the Indian fashion is not easy to identify.
But before they could make up their minds whether to resent or applaud the trick that King had played on them with Yasmini's obvious collaboration, King was well under way with a speech that held them spellbound.

It would have held any audience spellbound by its sheer, stark manliness.

It was straighter from the shoulder than Yasmini's eloquence, and left absolutely nothing to imagination.

Blunt, honest downrightness, that was the key of it, and it took away the breath of all those women used to the devious necessities of purdah politics.
"My friend and I refuse," he said, and paused to let them understand that thoroughly.

"We refuse to accept your money." Yasmini, who prided herself on her instantly ready wit, was too astonished to retort or to try to stop him.