His spectators almost held their breath.
He took from a small pocket in his uniform a little penknife; with this he made a slash at the stretched paper.

Completing the rest of the operation with his fingers, he tore off a strip or rag of paper, yellow in colour and wholly irregular in outline.

Then for the first time the great being addressed his adoring onlookers-- "Can any one," he said, with a pleasing foreign accent, "lend me a pin ?" Mr.Lambert, who happened to be nearest, and who carried innumerable pins for the purpose of attaching innumerable buttonholes, lent him one, which was received with extravagant but dignified bows, and hyperboles of thanks.
The gentleman in green, then, with every appearance of being gratified, and even puffed up, pinned the piece of yellow paper to the green silk and silver-lace adornments of his breast.

Then he turned his eyes round again, searching and unsatisfied.
"Anything else I can do, sir ?" asked Lambert, with the absurd politeness of the Englishman when once embarrassed.
"Red," said the stranger, vaguely, "red." "I beg your pardon ?" "I beg yours also, Senor," said the stranger, bowing.

"I was wondering whether any of you had any red about you." "Any red about us ?--well really--no, I don't think I have--I used to carry a red bandanna once, but--" "Barker," asked Auberon Quin, suddenly, "where's your red cockatoo?
Where's your red cockatoo ?" "What do you mean ?" asked Barker, desperately.