No one else could, so it is
not worth while attempting to describe it.
I admit I lay awake most of the night trying to determine how to meet the
Spencer woman's attack. And I had reached no satisfactory decision when
I went down to breakfast.
The formal ceremony of my taking over the Governorship of Dornlitz was
fixed for noon. I would be occupied the remainder of the afternoon at
headquarters; and then, in the evening, I was to give a dinner to the
ranking military officers in the Capital. I wanted to get some plan of
action arranged at once and, feeling the need of clear-headed counsel, I
dispatched Bernheim to the American Embassy with a request that Courtney
join me immediately. I had just finished my meal when he was announced,
and we repaired to my private cabinet.
The top paper on my desk was the report of the Secret Police upon "The
occupants of the third box on the right," which I had ordered the
previous evening. I carried it to Courtney and we read it together. It
was long and detailed and covered all the movements of the trio since
their entry into Dornlitz.
In effect it was: That the elderly couple were only chance acquaintances
of the younger woman, having met her on the train en route from Paris;
that they had reached the Capital the previous day and had registered at
the Hotel Metzen as "Mr.
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