'I am not taking any chances, as you see.'
The old man smiled faintly.
'You have nothing to fear from me.'
The German said: 'Perhaps not.
But you have much to fear from me.'
There was a little silence.
Presently he said:
'Suppose I were to let you go to England after all?
What would you think then, eh?'
The old man's heart leapt and then steadied again.
It was probably a trap.
'I should be very grateful, if you let me take the children,' he said quietly.
'And mademoiselle too?'
He shook his head.
'She does not want to come.
She wants to stay in France.'
The German nodded.
'That is what we also want.'
He paused, and then said:
'You say that you would be grateful.
We will see now if that is just an empty boast.
If I were to let you go to England with your children, so that you could send them to America, would you do me a small service?'
Howard said: 'It depends what it was.'
The Gestapo man flared out: 'Bargaining!
Always the same, you English!
One tries to help you, and you start chaffering!
You are in no position to drive bargains, Mr Englishman!'
The old man persisted: 'I must know what you want me to do.'
The German said: 'It is a matter of no difficulty...'
There was a short pause.
His hand strayed to the black automatic on the desk before him, and began fingering it.
'There is a certain person to be taken to America,' he said deliberately.
'I do not want to advertise her journey.
It would be very suitable that she should travel with your party of children.'
The gun was now in his hand, openly.
Howard stared at him across the table.
'If you mean that you want to use my party as a cover for an agent going to America,' he said, 'I will not have it.'
He saw the forefinger snap round the trigger.
He raised his eyes to the German's face and saw it white with anger. For a full half-minute they remained motionless, staring at each other.
The Gestapo officer was the first to relax.
'You would drive me mad,' he said bitterly.
'You are a stubborn and obstinate people.
You refuse the hand of friendship.
You are suspicious of everything we do.'
Howard was silent.
There was no point in saying more than was necessary.
It would not help.
'Listen to me,' the German said, 'and try to get this into your thick head.
This is not an agent who is travelling to America.
This is a little girl.'