In fact, they initially agreed on an exchange of letters, but Mr. Newcastle helplessly found that writing letters for someone like Mr. Bal was practically harder than climbing to the heavens.
They weren't completely illiterate; if they were, they wouldn't understand the Encyclopedia.
However, language skills aren't just about writing words. Some people can explain ten things in one sentence, but Brother Bal here can't clarify one thing even with ten sentences, occasionally letting his right brain be led by the left.
And that's not even the most critical part.
The worse part is that they entirely failed to realize they were doing something dangerous, and to save the cost of a postage stamp, they couldn't resist delivering the letters personally every time.
Saint Sis above, if Miss Marie saw him, he could still explain that they were renovation workers. But if Sir Skidgin, that commoner-based fellow, found out, they'd really be doomed!
