'We still have English gentlemen travelling in France."
He paused.
'Nice and Monte Carlo,' he said.
'I hope that you have had a very nice time.'
The old man was silent.
There was no point in trying to answer the taunts.
The officer turned to Nicole.
'You are French,' he said, fiercely and vehemently.
'You have been helping this man in his secret work against your country.
You are a traitor to the Armistice.
I think you will be shot for this.'
The girl stared at hun, dumbfounded.
Howard said: There is no need to frighten her.
We are quite ready to tell you the truth.'
'I know your English truth,' the Gestapo officer replied,
'I will find my own, even if I have to whip every inch of skin from her body and pull out every finger-nail.'
Howard said quietly: 'What do you want to know?'
'I want to know what means you used to make her help you in your work.'
There was a small, insistent tug at the old man's sleeve.
He glanced down and it was Sheila, whispering a request.
'Presently,' he said gently.
'You must wait a little.'
'I can't wait,' she said.
'I want to go now.'
The old man turned to the Gestapo officer.
'There is a small matter that requires attention,' he said placidly.
He indicated Rose.
'May this one take this little girl outside for a minute?
They will come back.'
The young Tank Corps officer smiled broadly; even the Gestapo man relaxed a little.
The Rittmaster spoke to the sentry, who sprang to attention and escorted the two little girls from the room.
Howard said: 'I will answer your question so far as I can.
I have no work in France, but I was trying to get back to England with these children.
As for this young lady, she was a great friend of my son, who is now dead.
We have known each other for some time.'
Nicole said: 'That is true.
Monsieur Howard came to us in Chartres when all travelling to England had been stopped.
I have known Focquet here since I was a little girl.
We were trying to induce him to take monsieur and these children back to England in his boat, but he was unwilling on account of the regulations.'
The old man stood silent, in admiration of the girl.
If she got away with that one it let Focquet out completely.
The officer's lips curled.
'I have no doubt that Mister Howard wanted to return to England,' he said dryly.
'It is getting quite too hot here for fellows of his sort.'
He said suddenly and sharply: 'We captured Charenton.
He is to be executed tomorrow, by shooting.'
There was a momentary silence.
The German eyed the party narrowly, his keen eyes running from one to the other.
The girl wrinkled her brows in perplexity.
The young Rittmeister of the Tank Corps sat with an impassive face, drawing a pattern on his blotting-pad.