"Who is it?" she asked.
The answer came back with official clearness:
"Officer of the day, Staff Headquarters. If you're the Convalescent Hospital, the Colonel would like to speak to Lady Hannah Wrynche."
Her knees became as jelly, and her heart seemed to turn a somersault. She answered in a would-be jaunty voice that wobbled horribly:
"Here—here—is Lady Hannah."
"Hold on a minute, please!"
She held on. She had not shuddered at the end of the wire for more than a minute when the well-known, infinitely-dreaded voice said in her ear, so clearly that she jumped:
"Lady Hannah there? How d'you do?"
She gulped, and quavered:
"It—it depends on what you're going to say."