"Had I not better remain with you and help you close the school?"
Sister Félicité shook her head vigorously:
"I can attend to that if it becomes necessary. I shall not budge unless I am called to field duty."
"But the children? Had I not better take some of them home?"
"There's time enough. If there is going to be any danger to them, I can arrange all that."
Sister Eila hesitated, her lovely head lowered.
"If we could find Halkett on our way back," said Warner, "I think he would be very glad to hear from us that Gray is alive."
Sister Eila nodded in silence; Warner made his adieux; the Sisters of Charity consulted together a moment, then the American and Sister Eila went out through the rear door and through the little garden. And at their heels shuffled Asticot, furtively chewing a purloined apple.
CHAPTER XXXI
As they reached the plateau above the school and halted for a few moments to look back across the valley of the Récollette, Warner began to understand.