But she talked naturally and openly, as though he must know her history.

Once even some jargon of the Staff College slipped from her.
"You were doing let us pretend at Box Hill last week, weren't you ?" she said, and when he started at the phrase she imagined that he started at the extent of her information.

"It was in the papers," she said.

"I read every word of them," and then for a second her face clouded, and she added: "I have time, you see." She looked at her watch and sprang to her feet.
"I must go," she said.

"I didn't know it was so late.