There came a very curious, dubious, hesitating expression
on Miss Forsyth's face. "I daresay that
what you say is true," she said at last. "But even
so, if I were you, Mary, I should show her that letter.
She may be in touch with some of her own people --
I mean in all innocence. It would be very disagreeable
for you if such turned out to be the case. I
happen to know that Witanbury is believed to be --
well, what shall I call it? -- a spy centre for this part
of England. I don't know that it's so much the
city, as the neighbourhood. You see, we're not so
very far away from one of the beaches which it is
thought the Germans, if they did try a landing, would
choose as a good place."

Mrs. Otway's extreme astonishment showed in her
face.

"You know I never gossip, Mary, so you may take
what I say as being true. But I beg you to keep
it to yourself. Don't even tell Rose, or the Dean.
My information does not come from anyone here,
in Witanbury. It comes from London."

Straws show the way the wind is blowing. The
anonymous letter sent to the Trellis House was one
straw; another was the revelation made to Mrs.
Otway by Miss Forsyth.

The wind indicated by these two small straws suddenly
developed, on the 25th of March, into a hurricane.
Luckily it was not a hurricane which affected
Mrs. Otway or her good old Anna at all directly, but
it upset them both, in their several ways, very much
indeed, for it took the extraordinary shape of a violent
attack by a mob armed with pickaxes and crowbars

[[287]]

p286 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p287w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p288

v?