"What is it?" she asked. "Won't you read it out?"
Rivière's voice had altered completely when he answered her. There was now a reserved, constrained note in it. "An item of news which touches me personally," he said.
"Am I not to hear it?"
"I would rather you didn't ask me."
There was silence again. Rivière sat stiff with rigid muscles while he thought out the bearings of the news item he had just read. Then he asked her to excuse him on a matter of immediate urgency.
At the post office he managed after some waiting to get telephonic communication with the Frankfort office of the Europe Chronicle.
"Tell the financial editor that Mr John Rivière wants to speak to him," he said authoritatively. "Please put me through quickly. I'm on a trunk wire."
After a pause the stereotyped reply came that the financial editor was out. His assistant was now speaking, and would take any message. Clifford Matheson would not have had such an answer made to him, but Rivière was an unknown name. He realized that he must now cool his heels in anterooms, and communicate with chiefs through the medium of their subordinates.
"You have an item in to-day's paper regarding the forthcoming notation of Hudson Bay Transport, Ltd. Mr Clifford Matheson's name is mentioned as Chairman. I should very much like to know if you have had confirmation of that item, and from where it was obtained."
"Hold the line, please. I'll make enquiries."