"Well, he isn't here," he tells her, with the air of a man about to launch into a very long and complicated story. "You see, he is traveling, still. But when he arrives? This is the shirt that he will need! I can guess at his measurings for you, I am sure of it--or I can send word to his manservant to secure these measurings. The second of these will take some time. Do you have the patience for the waiting? I so rarely do. This is why I do not write letters: I cannot stand to wait for the replying!"

And, you know. He can't really write.