A little silence had fallen after old Lady Southminster and her
sister had gone out, and it had been curious to notice how
little had been said during dinner of the event that was
proceeding in London.

Half a dozen times already since they had sat down a silent man
in the black gown of a secretary had slipped in with a printed
slip of paper and laid it before the Marquis and then disappeared
again, and it was astonishing how the conversation had ceased on
the instant, as the paper was read and passed round.

These messages had not been altogether reassuring.

The first was timed at 8.13, London, and had been read before the
clock chimed the quarter-past. It ran:

"MEMBERS ARE ARRIVING AFTER DINNER. HAZELTON MOBBED IN THE SQUARE."

The second, ten minutes later, ran:

"FOUR TITANIC-LINE BOATS FROM GERMANY REPORTED IN SIGHT. CORDON
OF POLICE-VOLORS COMPLETED."

The third:

"MOB REPORTED DIRECTION OF HAMPSTEAD. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS
BEGUN HIS SPEECH. HOUSE FULL."

The fourth, fifth, and sixth contained abstracts from the speech,
and added that it was becoming increasingly difficult to hear,