'I don't think so.
But if that should be so, then she would make arrangements for them for me.
She would engage some kind woman to make a home for them, because that is my wish, that they should have a good home in America - away from all this.'
He motioned with his hand.
'And there is no difficulty over money, you understand.'
The Frenchman sat silent for a little time, staring into his glass.
'This is a bad time for children, this filthy war,' he said at last.
'And now that France is defeated, it is going to be worse. You English now will starve us, as we starved Germany in 1918.'
Howard was silent.
'I shall not blame your country if you do that.
But it will be bad for children here.'
'I am afraid it may be,' said the old man.
'That is why I want to get these children out of it.
One must do what one can.'
Arvers shrugged his shoulders.
'There are no children in this house, thank God.
Or - only one.'
He paused.
'That was a hard case, if you like.'
Howard looked at him enquiringly.
The Frenchman poured him out another Pernod.
'A friend in Paris asked me if I had work for a Pole,' he said.
'In December, that was - just at Christmas time.
A Polish Jew who knew horses, who had escaped into Rumania and so by sea to Marseilles.
Well, you will understand, the mobilisation had taken five of my eight men, and it was very difficult.'
Howard nodded.
'You took him on?'
'Assuredly.
Simon Estreicher was his name, and he arrived one day with his son, a boy of ten.
There had been a wife, but I will not distress you with that story.
She had not escaped the Boche, you understand.'
The old man nodded.
'Well, this man Estreicher worked here till last week, and he worked well.
He was quiet and gave no trouble, and the son worked in the stables too.
Then last week the Germans came here and took him away.'
Took him away?'
Took him away to Germany, to their forced labour.
He was a Pole, you see, m'sieur, and a Jew as well.
One could do nothing for him.
Some filthy swine in town had told them about him, because they came straight here and asked for him.
They put handcuffs on him and took him in a camion with several others.'
'Did they take the son as well?'
'They never asked for him, and he was in the paddock at the time, so I said nothing.
One does not help the Germans in their work.
But it was very hard on that young boy.'
Howard agreed with him.
'He is with you still, then?'
'Where else could he go?
He is useful in the stables, too.
But before long I suppose they will find out about him, and come back for him to take him away also.'