I turned the handle, and the next moment I was face to face with
Sonia.

CHAPTER XIV

A SUMMONS FROM DR. McMURTRIE

She had risen from the sofa as I entered and was standing in the
centre of the room. The neatly cut, close-fitting dress that she was
wearing suited her dark beauty to perfection and showed off the
lines of her lithe, slender figure. She gave me a curious momentary
impression of some sort of graceful wild animal.

"Ah!" she exclaimed softly. "I am glad you weren't late. I have to go
away quite soon."

I took the hand she held out to me. "My dear Sonia," I said, "why
didn't you let me know that you were going to be the visitor?"

"I didn't know myself," she answered. "The doctor meant to come, but
he was called away unexpectedly this afternoon, so he sent me instead.
I have got a letter for you from him." She let go my fingers gently,
and picking up her bag which was lying on the table, opened it and
took out an envelope.

"Shall I read it now?" I asked.

She nodded.

I slit up the flap and pulled out a folded sheet of foolscap from
inside. It was in McMurtrie's handwriting, but there was no date and
no address.

"DEAR MR. NICHOLSON,

"All the necessary arrangements have now been made with regard to your
workshop at Tilbury. It is situated on the marshes close to the river,
three miles east of the town and a mile to the west of Cunnock Creek.
You can reach it either by the main road which runs half a mile
inland, or by walking along the saltings under the sea-wall.

"You cannot mistake the place, as it is an absolutely isolated
building, consisting of a small cabin or hut, with a large shed
attached for your work. It is not luxurious, but we have at least
fitted up the interior of your living-room as comfortably as possible,
and you will find in the shed everything that you specified in your
list as being necessary for your experiments.

"I should be glad if you would arrange to go down there and start work
the day after tomorrow. There is a train from Fenchurch Street to
Tilbury at 11.45 in the morning, and if you will catch that I will
see that there is a trap to meet you at the station and drive you out
along the road as near to the place as it is possible to get. This
hardly gives you the full week in London which you wished for, but
circumstances have arisen that make it of great importance to us to
be able to place your invention on the market as quickly as possible.
Fr