'Bon jour, M'sieur Howard.'
The girl laughed and ran her hand through his hair.
'It is a little boy bien eleve, this one,' she said.
'Not like the other ones that you have collected.'
He said a little anxiously: 'I do hope that they have not been a trouble to you, mademoiselle.'
She said: 'Children will never trouble me, monsieur.'
He thought again, a very odd young woman with a very odd way of expressing herself.
She told him that her mother was already out marketing in the town, and making certain enquiries.
She would be back in half an hour or so; then they would make their plans.
The girl brought him the grey suit of her father's, rather worn and shabby, with a pair of old brown canvas shoes, a horrible violet shirt, a celluloid collar rather yellow with age, and an unpleasant tie.
These clothes are not very chic,' she said apologetically.
'But it will be better for you to wear them, Monsieur Howard, because then you will appear like one of the little bourgeoisie.
I assure you, we will keep your own clothes for you very carefully.
My mother will put them in the cedar chest with the blankets, because of the moths, you understand.'
Three-quarters of an hour later he was up and dressed, and standing in the salon while the girl viewed him critically.
'You should not have shaved again so soon,' she said.
'It makes the wrong effect, that.'
He said that he was sorry.
Then he took note of her appearance.
'You have made yourself look shabby to come with me, mademoiselle,' he said.
That is a very kind thing to have done.'
She said: 'Marie, the servant, lent me this dress.'
She wore a very plain, black dress to her ankles, without adornment of any kind.
On her feet she wore low-heeled, clumsy shoes and coarse black stockings.
Madame Rougeron came in and put down her basket on the table in the salon.
There is a train for Rennes at noon,' she said unemotionally.
There is a German soldier at the guichet who asks why you must travel, but they do not look at papers.
They are very courteous and correct.'
She paused.
'But there is another thing.'
She took from the pocket of her gown a folded handbill.
'A German soldier left this paper with the concierge this morning.
There was one for each apartment.'
They spread it out on the table.
It was in French, and it read: CITIZENS OF THE REPUBLIC!
The treacherous English, who have forced this unnecessary war on us, have been driven into disorderly flight from our country.
Now is the time to rise and root out these plutocratic warmongers wherever they may be hiding, before they have time to plot fresh trouble for France.
These scoundrels who are roaming the country and living in secret in our homes like disgusting parasites, will commit acts of sabotage and espionage and make trouble for all of us with the Germans, who are only anxious to build up a peaceful regime in our country.
If these cowardly fugitives should commit such acts, the Germans will keep our fathers, our husbands, and our sons in long captivity.
Help to bring back your men by driving out these pests!
It is your duty if you know of an Englishman in hiding to tell the gendarmerie, or tell the nearest German soldier.
This is a simple thing that anyone can do, which will bring peace and freedom to our beloved land.
Severe penalties await those who shield these rats.
VIVE LA FRANCE!
Howard read it through quietly twice.
Then he said:
'It seems that I am one of the rats, madame.
After this, I think it would be better that I should go alone, with the children.'
She said that it was not to be thought of.
And then she said, Nicole would never agree.