"Oui, monsieur. The Mayor has asked for her. She is to play for an hour to entertain the wounded." He rested his withered cheek on his hand and looked out through the win[pg 192]dow at the sunshine with aged and tragic eyes. "It is very little to do for our wounded," he added aloud to himself.
Burley had sent twenty mules to Nivelle the night before, and had heard some disquieting rumours concerning that town.
Now he walked out past the dusky, arched passageway into the sunny street and continued northward under the trees to the barracks of the Gendarmerie.
"Bon jour l'ami Gargantua!" exclaimed the fat, jovial brigadier who had just emerged with boots shining, pipe-clay very apparent, and all rosy from a fresh shave.
"Bong joor, mon vieux copain!" replied Burley, preoccupied with some papers he was sorting. "Be good enough to look over my papers."
The brigadier took them and examined them.
"Are they en règle?" demanded Burley.
"Parfaitement, mon ami."
"Will they take me as far as Nivelle?"
"Certainly. But your mules went forward last night with the Remount——"