But the German high official was a very busy person; and letters might find their way into his hands which were really intended for English persons and not for him at all.

Accordingly, to make all clear, to warn him that here indeed was a letter deserving his kind attention, that little trifling alteration in the date was adopted; as though a man writing on the 28th had mislaid the calendar or newspaper and assigned the 27th to the day of writing, and afterwards had discovered his mistake.

It was no wonder accordingly that hope ran high in both Fairbairn and Hillyard as they read through this letter; although, upon the face of it, it was nothing but a sentimental effusion from a sister to a brother.
"We have got to clear all this nonsense away first," said Hillyard.
Fairbairn took the letter, and placing it on one of the developing dishes, poured over it a liquid from a bottle.
"That won't take very long," he said.
Meanwhile Hillyard busied himself with the second of the two white porcelain dishes.

He brought out a cruet stand from a cupboard at the side of the stove and filled the dish half full of vinegar.

He added water until the liquid rose within half an inch of the rim, and rocked the dish that the dilution might be complete.