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II
In the spacious dining hall of King’s College, Cambridge, the butler whispered deferentially in the Provost’s ear and handed him an envelope on a silver tray. The Provost beckoned James and passed on the envelope saying, “It seems you are wanted urgently in your room.”
As he made his way towards the beautiful building, James opened the envelope. It contained a brief note:
Dear Dr Forsyth,
The bearer of this note has been instructed to bring you to my office in London tonight. Please come without delay. I am making arrangements for your overnight stay in London. I regret the inconvenience caused to you and request you to keep your visit strictly confidential. Believe me, it is absolutely essential.
Yours sincerely,
John Macpherson
The bearer of this note has been instructed to bring you to my office in London tonight. Please come without delay. I am making arrangements for your overnight stay in London. I regret the inconvenience caused to you and request you to keep your visit strictly confidential. Believe me, it is absolutely essential.
Yours sincerely,
John Macpherson
The signature carried the designation underneath: Defence Science Advisor, Her Majesty’s Government.
Explanation:
Section I of the story 'Comet I' recounts the account of Duttada's discovery, while Section II outlines the issues that Comet Dutta was anticipated to cause. The story's next scene has been relocated to the King's College campus in Cambridge. King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The butler spoke in a gentle voice to the Provost, the college's in-charge, respectfully and handed him an envelope on a silver tray.
The Provost would pass the envelope back to Mr. James and inform him that someone had arrived to meet him urgently. James opened the envelope containing a brief letter on his way to his room to meet the stranger. Mr. Macpherson wrote to him (Dr. James Forsyth), requesting an immediate meeting as he had something important to share with him. Mr. Macpherson's letter highlights two points. Mr. Macpherson and Dr. James Forsyth were about to discuss something crucial. It was also a confidential subject that could not be revealed to anybody. Also, Mr. Macpherson had despatched someone to assist him in getting to Whitehall with that letter. 'Whitehall' is the name of a street in London on which there are many government offices.
He'd been waiting for Mr. James to arrive at his room and take him to Whitehall to see John Macpherson. According to the arrangements, James would spend that night in London. The signature beneath the letter would serve as a message of Macpherson's position to the readers. The Defence Science Advisor, Her Majesty's Government, was written beneath the signature.
Meaning of difficult words:
S.No | Words | Meaning |
1. | Provost | Chief academic officer of a college or University |
2. | Designation | Name, description or title given for a particular person |
3. | Whispered | Saying something in a low voice |
4. | Beckoned | To give signal to someone to follow using finger or hand |
5. | Confidential | Something secret which cannot be shared to anyone |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2008). The Comet I - Jayant Narlikar (pp. 73-80). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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