In that way you can get them at your mercy in the end.'
Howard said: 'All right, Marjan.
We start in the morning; be ready to come with us.
Now go and have your supper and go up to bed.'
He stood watching the boy as he made his way towards the house.
'God knows what sort of world we shall have when this is all over,' he said heavily.
Nicole said: 'I do not know.
But what you are doing now will help us all, I think.
To get these children out of Europe must be a good thing.'
Presently they were called to the kitchen for their supper.
Afterwards, in the salon, Arvers talked to them.
'Listen,' he said, 'and I will tell you what I have arranged.'
He paused. 'Lannilis is full of Germans.
That is four miles from the coast, and the places at the coast itself, l'Abervrach and Portsall and places of that sort, are very lightly held or even not occupied at all.
They do not interfere with the traffic of the country, and this is what I have devised for you.'
He said: 'Three miles this side of Lannilis there is a farmer called Quintin, and he is to send a load of manure tomorrow to a fisherman called Loudeac, the captain of the lifeboat at l'Abervrach, because Loudeac has a few fields on the hills and wants manure.
I have arranged all that.
The manure will be delivered in a cart with one horse, you understand?
You, m'sieur, will drive the cart. Mademoiselle and the children will accompany you for the ride.'
Howard said: 'That seems sound enough.
Nobody would suspect that.'
Aristide glanced at him.
'It will be necessary that you should wear poorer clothes.
That I can arrange.'
Nicole said: 'How do we get into touch with Focquet tomorrow night?'
The horse-dealer said: Tomorrow night, Focquet will come at nine o'clock to the estaminet on the quayside.
He will appear to be slightly drunk, and he will ask for Pernod des Anges.
There is no such drink.
In that way you will know him.
The rest I will leave to you.'
Howard nodded:
'How can we get to Quintin's farm?'
'I will take you myself so far in the car.
That will be safe enough, for it is this side of Lannilis and there will be no questions asked.
But there I must leave you.'
He thought for a minute.
'It will be better that you should not start from Quintin's farm much before five o'clock,' he said.
That will make it reasonable that you should be in l'Abervrach at nightfall, and even that you should spend the night there, with Loudeac.'
Nicole said: 'What about Loudeac and Quintin, monsieur?
Do they know that Monsieur Howard and the children will escape?'
The man said: 'Have no fear, mademoiselle.
This is not so uncommon, in these times.
They know all that they wish to know, and they have been paid.
They are good friends of mine.'
Howard said: 'I must now pay you, monsieur.'
They settled down together at the table.
Soon after that they went to bed; refreshed by a restful day Howard slept well.
In the morning he went down for coffee feeling better than he had felt for some days.
Aristide said: 'We leave after dejeuner.
That will be time enough.