'Go to America?
That is not possible at all, monsieur.'
A little fear stole into his heart.
'But you are coming to England, Nicole?'
She shook her head.
'No, monsieur.
I must stay in France.'
He was suddenly deeply disappointed.
'Do you really think that is the best thing to do?' he said.
This country is overrun with Germans, and there will be great hardships as the war goes on.
If you came with us to England you could live with me in my house in Essex, or you could go on to America with the children.
That would be much better Nicole.'
She said: 'But monsieur, I have my mother to consider.'
He hesitated.
'Would you like to try to get hold of her, and take her with us?
Life in France is going to be very difficult, you know.'
She shook her head.
'I know that things are going to be difficult.
But she would not be happy in England.
Perhaps I should not be happy either - now.'
'Have you ever been to England?' he asked curiously.
She shook her head.
'We had arranged that I should visit John in England in October, when he could get leave again.
I think he would have taken me to see you then, perhaps.
But the war came, and there was no more leave... And travelling was very difficult.
I could not get a visa for my passport.'
He said gently: 'Make that trip to England now, Nicole.'
She shook her head. 'No, monsieur.'
'Why not?'
She said: 'Are you going to America with the children, yourself?'
He shook his head.
'I would like to, but I don't think I shall be able to.
I believe that there'll be work for me to do when I get back.'
She said: 'Nor would I leave France.'
He opened his mouth to say that that was quite different, but shut it again without speaking.
She divined something of his thought, because she said:
'Either one is French or one is English, and it is not possible that one should be both at the same time.
And in times of great trouble, one must stay with one's own country and do what one can to help.'
He said slowly: 'I suppose so.'
Pursuing her train of thought,, she said:
'If John and I -' she hesitated - 'if we had married, I should have been English and then it would be different.
But now I am not to be English, ever.
I could not learn your different ways, and the new life, alone.
This is my place that I belong to, and I must stay here.
You understand?'
He said: 'I understand that, Nicole.'
He paused for a minute, and then said:
'I am getting to be an old man now.
When this war is over I may not find it very easy to get about.
Will you come and stay with me in England for a little?