At these the car stopped and the sentry came and peered into the car.
At the sight of the Gestapo uniform he stepped quickly back and saluted.
This happened two or three times.
Once Howard asked: 'Where are we going to?'
The German said: To l'Abervrach.
Your fisherman is there.'
After a pause the old man said: 'There was a guard on the harbour.'
Diessen said: 'There is no guard tonight - that has been arranged.
Do you take me for a fool?'
Howard said no more.
At ten o'clock, in the first darkness, they ran softly to the quay at l'Abervrach.
The car drew up noiselessly and the engine stopped at once.
The Gestapo officer got out and stood for half a minute, staring around.
All was quiet and still.
He turned back to the car.
'Come,' he said.
'Get out quickly - and do not let the children talk.'
They helped the children from the car.
Diessen said to Nicole: 'There is to be no trickery.
You shall stay with me.
If you should try to go with them, I shall shoot down the lot of you.'
She raised her head.
'You need not draw your gun,' she said.
'I shall not try to go.'
The German did not answer her, but pulled the big automatic from the holster at his waist.
In the dim light he went striding softly down the quay; Howard and Nicole hesitated for a moment and then followed him with the children; the black-uniformed driver brought up the rear.
At the end, by the water's edge, Diessen turned.
He called to them in a low tone. 'Hurry.'
There was a boat there, where the slip ran down into the water.
They could see the tracery of its mast and rigging outlined against the starry sky; the night was very quiet.
They drew closer and saw it was a half-decked fishing-boat.
There were two men there, besides Diessen.
One was standing on the quay in the black uniform they knew so well.
The other was in the boat, holding her to the quay by a rope rove through a ring.
'In with you, quickly,' said Diessen.
'I want to see you get away.'
He turned to Focquet, speaking in French. 'You are not to start your engine till you are past Le Trepied,' he said.
'I do not want the countryside to be alarmed.'
The young man nodded.
'There is no need,' he said in the soft Breton dialect.
'There is sufficient wind to steer by, and the ebb will take us out.'
They passed the seven children one by one down into the boat.
'You now,' the German said to Howard.
'Remember to behave yourself in England.
I shall send for you in London in a very few weeks' time.
In September.'
The old man turned to Nicole.
'This is good-bye, my dear,' he said.
He hesitated.
'I do not think this war will be over in September.