temeraire struggled with his pride , and then yielded : when next jia zhen came by the pavilion , temeraire dropped his head and deeply conscious of embarrassment began to try and explain - the length of the journey - the unsettled state of england after the invasion - the minor technical irregularity of their situation - before he had gone very far , however , jia zhen forestalled him and said , in the most delicate way imaginable , `` i have been meaning to ask you if it would be considered excessively bold to offer a gift of robes on behalf of our small and unworthy outpost , when we have only the most limited of skill and our materials are scarcely suitable . ''