Neville Schuth Fullscreen Pied piper (1924)

Pause

       Howard smiled again. 'I hope you put him in his place,' he said.

       She laughed outright; it was the first time that he had heard that happen.

'That was not possible, Monsieur Howard,' she said.

'Never could I put him in his place, as you say.'

       He said: 'I'm sorry about that.' He paused, and then he said: 'I have never flown over Paris.

Is it beautiful?'

       She shrugged her shoulders.

'Beautiful?

I do not think that anything is beautiful seen from the air, except the clouds.

But that day was marvellous, because there were those big, fleecy clouds that John called cum... something.'

       'Cumulus?'

       She nodded.

'That was it.

For more than an hour we played in them, flying around and over the top and in between the white cliffs in the deep gorges of the mist.

And every now and then, far below, one would see Paris, the Concorde or perhaps the Etoile.

Never shall I forget that day.

And when we landed I was so sleepy that I went to sleep in the car on the way back to Paris, leaning up against John, with my head on his shoulder.'

       They walked on in silence for a time.

Pierre and Willem tired of pushing the pram and gave place to Rose, with Sheila trotting at her side.

The kitten lay curled up in the pram, sound asleep.

       Presently Nicole pointed ahead of them.

That is the house - amongst those trees.'

       The house that she pointed to lay about a mile ahead of them.

It seemed to be a fairly large and prosperous farm, grouped round a modest country house standing among trees as shelter from the wind.

About it rolled the open pasture of the wold, as far as could be seen.

       In half an hour they were close up to it.

A long row of stabling showed the interests of the owner; there were horses running in the paddocks near the farm.

The farm buildings were better kept and laid out than the farms that Howard had had dealings with on his journey; this was a cut above the usual run of things.

       They went up to a house that stood beside the entrance, in the manner of a lodge; here Nicole enquired for M. Arvers.

They were directed to the stables; leaving the children with the pram at the gate, they went forward together.

They met their man half-way.

       Aristide Arvers was a small man of fifty-five or so, thin, with sharp features and a shrewd look.

Howard decided at the first glance that this man was no fool.

And the second thought that came into his mind was realisation that this man could well be the father of a beauty queen, of Miss Landerneau.

The delicate features, sharpening by advancing age, might well be fascinating in a young girl.

He wore a shapeless black suit with a soiled scarf wrapped around his neck in lieu of collar; a black hat was on his head.

       Nicole said: 'Monsieur Arvers, do you remember me?

You were so kind as to invite me here one day, with my father, Colonel Rougeron.

You showed my father round your stables.

After that you entertained us in your house.

That was three years ago - do you remember?'

       He nodded.

'I remember that very well, mademoiselle.

M. le colonel was very interested in my horses for the army, being himself an artillery officer, if I remember right.'

He hesitated.

'I hope you have good news of M. le colonel?'

       She said: 'We have had no news for three months, when he was at Metz.'

       'I am desolated, mademoiselle.'

       She nodded, having nothing much to say to that.

She said: