To be equally brief I may say simply that it asked me to be ready to start for Canada that night on business connected with the Department of State! Of reasons or explanations it gave none.
I turned to Elisabeth and held out the message from my chief.

She looked at it.

Her eyes widened.

"Nicholas!" she exclaimed.
I looked at her in silence for a moment.

"Elisabeth," I said at last, "I have been gone on this sort of business long enough.