He offered me a chair, and looked at me with a sort of practical good-humour that seemed to say, "Well, here he is; now how shall we handle him ?" I was minded to ask outright for what I wanted, but something in his attitude revealed that he knew all that already and would prefer to come at the problem in his own way.

It was clear, without a word being said, that he proposed to make some sort of use of me without being so indiscreet as to admit it.

He reminded me rather of Julius Caesar, who was also a little man, considering the probable qualifications of some minor spoke in a prodigious wheel of plans.
"I understand you want to go to El-Kerak ?" he said, smiling as if all life were an amusing game.
I admitted the impeachment.

Grim was standing, some little way behind me and to one side; I did not turn my head to look at him, for that might have given a false impression that he and I were in league together, but I was somehow aware that with folded arms he was studying me minutely.
"Well," said Sir Louis, "there's no objection; only a stipulation: We wouldn't let an Englishman go, because of the risk--not to him, but to us.

Any fool has a right to get killed, but not to obligate his government.