Page 107 - the-thirty-nine-steps

CHAPTER EIGHT

The Coming of the

Black Stone

I came down to breakfast next morning, after eight hours
of blessed dreamless sleep, to find Sir Walter decoding a
telegram in the midst of muffins and marmalade. His fresh
rosiness of yesterday seemed a thought tarnished.
‘I had a busy hour on the telephone after you went to
bed,’ he said. ‘I got my Chief to speak to the First Lord and
the Secretary for War, and they are bringing Royer over a
day sooner. This wire clinches it. He will be in London at
five. Odd that the code word for a SOUS-CHEF D/ETAT
MAJOR-GENERAL should be ‘Porker”.’
He directed me to the hot dishes and went on.
‘Not that I think it will do much good. If your friends
were clever enough to find out the first arrangement they
are clever enough to discover the change. I would give my
head to know where the leak is. We believed there were only
five men in England who knew about Royer’s visit, and you
may be certain there were fewer in France, for they manage
these things better there.’
While I ate he continued to talk, making me to my sur-
prise a present of his full confidence.

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