No! That was carrying a bad joke too far.
Hillyard stalked haughtily along the corridor towards the outer door, but not so fast but that a youth passed him with a sheet of paper in his hand.

The youth went into the room where Government cablegrams were coded.

The sheet of paper which he held in his hand was inscribed with a message that Martin Hillyard would leave Alexandria in a week's time on the s.s._Himalaya_.

And the message strangely enough was not addressed to Paul Bendish at all.

It was headed, "For Commodore Graham.
Admiralty." The great Summons had in fact come, although Hillyard knew it not.
He travelled in consequence leisurely by sea.