This time he spoke in English, without any trace of accent.
'Well,' he said, 'you'd better come on and sit down.
There's a pair of us.
I'm English too.'
Howard recoiled a step.
'You're English?'
'Naturalised,' the other said carelessly.
'My mother came from Woking, and I spent most of my life in England.
My father was a Frenchman, so I started off as French.
But he was killed in the last war.'
'But what are you doing here?'
The young man motioned to the table.
'Come on and sit down.'
The old man drew a chair up to the table and repeated his question.
'I did not know there was another Englishman in Lannilis,' he said.
'Whatever are you doing here?
The young man said: 'I'm waiting to be shot.'
There was a stunned, horrible pause.
At last, Howard said:
'Is your name Charenton?'
The young man nodded.
'Yes,' he said, 'I'm Charenton.
I see they told you about me.'
There was a long silence in the little room.
Howard sat dumb, not knowing what to say.
In his embarrassment his eyes fell on the table, on the young man's hands.
Sitting with his hands before him on the table, Charenton had formed his fingers in a peculiar grip, the fingers interlaced, the left hand palm up and the right hand palm down.
The thumbs were crossed.
As soon as he observed the old man's scrutiny he glanced at him sharply, then undid the grasp.
He sighed a little.
'How did you come to be here?' he asked.
Howard said: 'I was trying to get back to England, with a few children.'
He rambled into his story.
The young man listened to him quietly, appraising him with keen, curious eyes.
In the end he said:
'I don't believe that you've got much to worry about.
They'll probably let you live at liberty in some French town.'
Howard said: 'I'm afraid they won't do that.
You see, they think that I'm mixed up with you.'
The young man nodded.
'I thought that must be it.
That is why they've put us together.
They're looking for a few more scapegoats, are they?'
Howard said: 'I am afraid they are.'
The young man got up and walked over to the window.
'You'll be all right,' he said at last. They've got no evidence against you - they can't have.
Sooner or later you'll get back to England.'
There was a tinge of sadness in his voice.
Howard said: 'What about you?'
Charenton said: 'Me?