straight out into Densher's face, or perched at least
on his shoulder, making him look up in surprise
from his mere inky office-table. His account of
the matter to Kate was that he couldn't refuse not
being in a position, as yet, to refuse anything; but
that his being chosen for such an errand confounded
his sense of proportion. He was definite as to his
scarce knowing how to measure the honour, which
struck him as equivocal; he had not quite supposed
himself the man for the class of job. This confused
consciousness, he intimated, he had promptly
enough betrayed to his manager; with the effect,
however, of seeing the question surprisingly clear
up. What it came to was that the sort of twaddle
that was not in his chords was, unexpectedly, just
what they happened this time not to want. They
wanted his letters, for queer reasons, about as good
as he could let them come; he was to play his own
little tune and not be afraid; that was the whole
point.

It would have been the whole, that is, had there
not been a sharper one still in the circumstance that
he was to start at once. His mission, as they called
it at the office, would probably be over by the end
of June, which was desirable; but to bring that
about he must now not lose a week; his inquiries,
he understood, were to cover the whole ground,
and there were reasons of State reasons operating
at the seat of empire in Fleet Street why the nail
should be struck on the head. Densher made no

[[96]]

p095 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p096w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p097

v?