“I wish to see his Excellency the Ambassador!” she said, speaking in French.
The flunky took her card and bowed her into a small reception room.
After a moment or so a dapper young man entered, her card in his fingers.
“Messes Cleephane?” he inquired.
“I am Mrs. Clephane,” she replied in French. “I wish to see his Excellency the Ambassador on a most important matter.”
“You have an appointment with his Excellency?” he asked, this time in French.
“You are—” she inflected.
“His secretary, madame,” the young man bowed.
“No, I have not an appointment,” she replied, “but I come from Madame Durrand who was the bearer of a cipher letter from the Foreign Minister. Madame Durrand was injured as she was about to take train in New York, and gave me the letter to deliver.”
The secretary looked at her blandly and smiled faintly.