"Very well," she said, and as soon as he had left the room she tore open the letter with trembling fingers.

A roll of unfolded notes done up in a wrapper fell out of it.

She disengaged the letter and began reading it at the end.

" Preparations shall be made for your arrival here...I attach particular significance to compliance..." she read.

She ran on, then back, read it all through, and once more read the letter all through again from the beginning.