The door was closed silently behind him, and at once he was surprised by the remarkable silence, almost a cessation of life it seemed, in a room which was quite full.

Wherever the broad bars of sunshine fell, as they slanted dusty with motes through the open lattices of the shutters, they striped a woman's dress or a man's velvet coat.

Yet if anyone shuffled a foot or allowed a petticoat to rustle, that person glanced on each side guiltily.

A group of people were gathered in front of the doorway.

Their backs were towards Wogan, and they were looking towards the centre of the room.