One woman looked for her husband but could not find him. The Rembrandt Christhead had also disappeared.
A tall fifteen year old lad who stood near the door informed us that they had slipped out to see.
"So has Germain."
"Then you come here! Don't you dare leave me," scolded the mother. "Can you just see something happening to him with his father out there in the trenches?"
Monsieur Neu and two other men soon followed suit.
The big boy who had so recently been admonished managed to crawl from beneath his mother's gaze and make his escape.
"If ever I catch him, he'll find out what my name is," screamed the excited woman, dashing after him into the darkness.
Then, presently, one by one we took our way towards the hall, and the cellar seemed empty.
The tall boy came back to the entrance, all excitement.
"We saw where it fell!" he panted. "There are some wounded. The police won't let you go near. There's lots and lots of people out there. Where's mamma?"