She said doubtfully: 'The Garage Citroen would be the best. But it will not be easy, monsieur.
You understand - the cars have all been taken for the army.
It would be easier to go by train.'
He shook his head.
'I'd rather go by car.'
She eyed him for a moment.
'Monsieur is going away, then, the day after tomorrow?'
'Yes, if the little girl is well enough to travel.'
She said, awkwardly: 'I am desolated, but it will be necessary for monsieur to go then, at the latest.
If the little one is still ill, we will try to find a room for monsieur in the town.
But we have heard this afternoon, the hotel is to be taken over tomorrow by the Bureau Principal of the railway, from Paris.'
He stared at her.
'Are they moving the offices from Paris, then?'
She shook her head.
'I only know what I have told you, monsieur.
All our guests must leave.'
He was silent for a minute.
Then he said:
'What did you say was the name of the garage?'
'The Garage Citroen, monsieur.
I will telephone and ask them, if you wish?'
He said: 'Please do.'
She turned away and went into the box; he waited at the desk, worried and anxious.
He felt that the net of circumstances was closing in on him, driving him where he did not want to go.
The car to St Malo was the knife that would cut through his difficulties and free him.
Through the glass of the booth he saw her speaking volubly into ihe telephone; he waited on tenterhooks.
She came back presently.
'It is impossible,' she said.
'There is no car available for such a journey.
I regret -Monsieur Duval, the proprietor of the garage, regrets also but monsieur will have to go by train.'
He said very quietly:
'Surely it would be possible to arrange something?
There must be a car of some sort or another?'
She shrugged her shoulders.
'Monsieur could go to see Monsieur Duval perhaps, at the garage.
If anybody in Dijon could produce a car for such a journey it would be he.'
She gave him directions for finding the garage; ten minutes later he was in the Frenchman's office.
The garage owner was quite positive.
'A car, yes,' he declared.
'That is the least thing, monsieur, I could find the car.
But petrol - not a litre that has not been taken by the army.
Only by fraud can I get petrol for the car - you understand?
And then, the roads.
It is not possible to make one's way along the road to Paris, not possible at all, monsieur.' 'Finally,' he said, 'I could not find a driver for a journey such as that.
The Germans are across the Seine, monsieur; they are across the Marne.
Who knows where they will be the day after tomorrow?'
The old man was silent.
The Frenchman said: 'If monsieur wishes to get back to England he should go by train, and he should go very soon.'
Howard thanked him for the advice, and went out into the street.
Dusk was falling; he moved along the pavement, deep in thought.