No?’ because only one person in the world would ring up and say, ‘Mathilde?’. And, sure enough, it was Raoul. ‘But Raoul, what on earth are you doing in London?’ ‘I flew here yesterday evening, by air. I have some business in Bruxelles and on the way I thought I might also do a little business in London. And I wished to see you, Mathilde, and have some talk with you.’ ‘Well, yes, Raoul, how lovely! When could we meet? Any time suits me.’ ‘This morning I have business and then business lunch and in the afternoon more business: this leaves only this evening because to-morrow morning I fly by air to Bruxelles. You come then and dine with me here at the Ritzotel?’ Matilda, having assured him that any time would suit her, now found that in fact there was no time at all that would. ‘The hell of it is, Raoul, that it’s the girl’s day out and there’s no one to leave in the house. Come to dinner here?’ (My God, though, what on earth could I give the man?) ‘I wish to talk alone with you, Mathilde.
