IX
In which Micky hears a confession and is forced to deliver an unfortunate message.
UP in the wireless house that night Micky was kept on the jump until a late hour. There were more than a dozen commercials of all sorts. The situation diplomatique continued to get graver and graver; there were detailed accounts of the temporary disposition of Brother John’s remains and his proposed formal interment, and conflicting items of information as to the stock market, owing to the Moroccan crisis. He dutifully jotted it all down with ears hungry for English new waited for the “ZZ—ZZ—ZZ” from Poldhu. At last it came and Micky grasped his pencil firmly and began to write as the man in shirt sleeves in Cornwall threw the leaping current at him through the ether.
“Press - for - transmission - only - stop - consols - off - one-half - per - centum - stop - Lloyd - George - down - with - severe - cold - interferes -127
