meanwhile she was one of the most envied girls in the building , and a member of the small company of principal secretaries who had access to the innermost secrets of the service-'the pearls and twin-set ' as they were called behind their backs by the other girls , with ironical reference to their supposedly 'county ' and 'kensington ' backgrounds-and , so far as the personnel branch was concerned , her destiny in twenty years ' time would be that single golden line right at the end of a new year 's honours list , among the medals for officials of the fishery board , of the post office , of the women 's institute , towards the bottom of the obes : 'miss loelia ponsonby , principal secretary in the ministry of defence . '