“Personally I cannot credit that anyone at Cabinet level would behave in such a manner,” the Marquis said. “Yet one can never be sure. And that is why, my Lord, I am asking you not to open this document in any circumstances except when the invasion has commenced.”
“You have my word on it,” Lord Hawkesbury said.
“And where will you keep it?” the Marquis enquired.
“Where all our most secret papers are kept,” Lord Hawkesbury replied, “in a safe here in this office, to which only I and Mr. Cuddington have keys. There is no question of anyone else in the whole building having access to it.”
“In which case it should be completely safe,” the Marquis said. “The document has, as you can imagine, been compiled with the intention of repelling this invasion. That is why it is of the utmost importa
