“I heard something about that this morning,” returned Landry. “But only that it was⁠—”

“There! What did I tell you?” interrupted Rusbridge. “I said it was everywhere. There’s no smoke without some fire. And I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if we get cables before noon that the British War Office had sent an ultimatum.”

And very naturally a few minutes later Winston, at that time standing on the steps of the corn pit, heard from a certain broker, who had it from a friend who had just received a despatch from someone “in the know,” that the British Secretary of State for War had forwarded an ultimatum to the Porte, and that diplomatic relations between Turkey and England were about to be suspended.