Hilaire Belloc

“ Mr. Kirby addressed his young compatriot quickly but courteously.
"Would you be kind enough to give me Mr. Brassington's Green Overcoat?" he said.
"Wh-wh-wh-what?" said the non-Pole, utterly at sea.
There is a type in the modern world which is not destined to commercial success, and certain forms of the non-Polish type present extreme examples of the kind.
"Mr. Brassington's Green Overcoat," repeated Mr. Kirby steadily and hard.
Upstairs Lipsky, rising from his sick bed, heard. He heard the unusual voice, he heard the name, and, as I have written some pages back, he came down. ”

“ There is always a common bond between intelligence and intelligence, though the intelligence of the one man be that of an Englishman and of the other man be that of a Pole; and as Lipsky entered the shop Mr. Kirby and he at once picked up communications, and the assistant at once dropped out of the scheme.
"Oh, Mr. Lipsky," said Mr. Kirby courteously, "I 'm afraid you 've been ill! I 'm sorry for that! But the fact is I 'm rather in a hurry, and have come for Mr. Brassington's Green Overcoat."
"Yes, Mr. Kirby, certainly," said the shopkeeper. ”

“ He walked through the dirty, narrow little streets, prim in his excellent kit, well-groomed and flourishing. He was old-fashioned enough to have a flower in his button-hole, and he had been very careful with his hat. ”