If I tell you, you have to promise to keep shtum about it.

In the afternoon a party of us strolled out to the Chinese city [Peking], through the Great Meridian Gate, to examine the curiosity shops. The narrow streets or hutungs in this quarter reminded me of Canton.

His bald purplish head now looked for all the world like a mildewed skull.

[…] he stumbled into the bedroom and delved into the closet, swimming past the hems of the skirts and dresses aswish in plastic, to the spot behind the line of never-worn shoes.