Since he had parted from the two Air Force men he had rather lost heart; now he felt again that there was a good prospect that he would get through to England.
True, he had still to get to Brittany.
That might be difficult in itself; he had no papers of identification other than a British passport, and none of the children had anything at all.
If he were stopped and questioned by the Germans the game would be up, but so far he had not been stopped.
So long as nobody became suspicious of him, he might be all right.
Nicole came back alone from the kitchen.
'Maman has gone to bed,' she said.
'She gets up so early in the morning.
She has asked me to wish you a very good night on her behalf.'
He said something conventionally polite.
'I think I should be better in bed, myself,' he said.
'These last days have been tiring for a man as old as I am.'
She said: 'I know, monsieur.'
She hesitated and then said a little awkwardly: 'I have been talking with my mother.
We both think that it would be better that I should come with you to Brittany, Monsieur Howard.'
There was a momentary silence; the old man was taken by surprise.
'That is a very kind offer,' he said.
'Most generous of you, mademoiselle.
But I do not think I should accept it.'
He smiled at her.
'You must understand,' he said,
'I may get into trouble with the Germans. I should not like to think that I had involved you in my difficulties.'
She said: 'I thought you might feel that, monsieur.
But I assure you, I have discussed the matter with maman, and it is better that I should go with you.
It is quite decided.'
He said: 'I cannot deny that you would be an enormous help to me, mademoiselle.
But one does not decide a point like that all in one moment.
One weighs it carefully and one sleeps on it.'
It was growing dusk.
In the half-light of the salon it seemed to him that her eyes were very bright, and that she was blinking a little.
'Do not refuse me, Monsieur Howard," she said at last.
'I want so very much to help you.'
He was touched.
'I was only thinking of your safety, mademoiselle,' he said gently.
'You have done a very great deal for me already.
Why should you do any more?'
She said: 'Because of our old friendship.'
He made one last effort to dissuade her.
'But mademoiselle,' he said, 'that friendship, which I value, was never more than a slight thing - a mere hotel acquaintance.
You have already done more for me than I could have hoped for.'
She said: 'Perhaps you did not know, monsieur.
Your son and I... John... we were good friends.'
There was an awkward pause.
'So it is quite decided,' she said, turning away.
'We are quite of one mind, my mother and I.
Now, monsieur, I will show you your room.'
She took him down the corridor and showed him the room.
Her mother had been before her, and had laid out on the bed a long, linen nightgown, the slumber-wear of Monsieur le Colonel.
On the dressing-table she had put his cut-throat razor, and a strop, and his much-squeezed tube of shaving-paste, and a bottle of scent called FLEURS DE ALPES.
The girl looked round.