"And Sir Marcus is an improvement on Hamdi Effendi."
"Oh, yes. Seer Marcous lets me do whatever I like," said
Carlotta.
"I'm shot if I do," I exclaimed. "The confinement of your
existence in the East makes you exaggerate the comparative
immunity from restriction which you enjoy in England."
I notice that Carlotta is always impressed when I use high
sounding words.
"Still, if you could make love over garden walls, you must have
had a pretty slack time, even in Alexandretta," said Pasquale.
Obviously Carlotta had saved me the trouble of explaining her.
"I once met our friend Hamdi," Pasquale continued. "He was the
politest old ruffian that ever had a long nose and was pitted
with smallpox."
"Yes, yes!" cried Carlotta, delighted. "That is Hamdi."
"Is there any disreputable foreigner that you are not familiar
with?" I asked, somewhat sarcastically.
"I hope not," he laughed. "You must know I had got into a deuce
of a row at Aleppo, about eighteen months ago, and had to take to
my heels. Alexandretta is the port of Aleppo and Hamdi is a sort
of boss policeman there.
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