He was very much upset.
He felt that something should have happened to prevent this. He was terribly concerned for her, and a little confused.
She said presently:
'You must not distress yourself on my account, Monsieur Howard.
I assure you, I am quite all right, and so is Aristide.'
She laughed shortly.
'At least, I can say that I have seen the Royal Air Force at work.
For many months I longed to see that.'
He shook his head, unable to say anything.
She laid her hand on his arm.
'Many of the bombs fell in the Port Militaire,' she said gently.
'One or two went wide, but that was not intended.
I think they may have hit the ships.'
She paused and then she said: 'I think John would have been very pleased.'
'Yes,' he said heavily, 'I suppose he would have been.'
She took his arm.
'Come in the salon and we will drink a Pernod together, and I will tell you about Jean Henri.'
They went together into the house.
Aristide was not about; in the salon Howard sat down with the girl.
He was still distressed and upset; Nicole poured out a Pernod for him and added a little water.
Then she poured a smaller one for herself.
'About Jean Henri,' she said.
'He is not to appear in this himself.
Aristide will not have that, for the sake of Marie.
But in Le Conquet there is a young man called Simon Focquet, and he will take a boat across with you.'
The old man's heart leaped, but all he said was:
'How old is this young man?'
She shrugged her shoulders.
'Twenty - twenty-two, perhaps.
He is de Gaullist.'
'What is that, mademoiselle?'
She said: 'There is a General de Gaulle in England with your armies, one of our younger Generals.
In France nobody knew much about him, but now he will carry on the battle from England.
He is not approved by our Government of Vichy, but many of our young men are slipping away to join him, some by way of Spain and others in boats across the Manche.
That is how Simon Focquet wishes to go, because he is a fishing-boy, and knows boats very well.'
'But the Germans will stop that, surely.'
She nodded.
'Already all traffic has been stopped.
But the boats are still allowed to fish around the coast and by Ushant.
It will be necessary to devise something.
He said: 'Where will he get the boat?'
'Aristide has arranged that for us.
Jean Henri will hire one of his boats for fishing to this young man, and Simon then will steal it when he leaves for England.
Jean Henri will be the first to complain to the gendarmerie, and to the Germans, that his boat has been stolen.
But Aristide will pay him for it secretly.
You should pay Aristide, if you have so much money.'
He nodded.
'How much will it be?'
She said: 'Five thousand five hundred francs.'
209 He thought for a moment.