Windows and WebPages

Question

How do you request a web page and save the contents of the response to a string? I could do this in Delphi using the Webbrowser, but I don't need a visual component. I just need to make a request, and well, use it as a web service. So I might be asking how do you use a web service? I'm not that good with all this which is why I am a little ocnfused. I don't even know what my question is now!? ;)