“So you will tell the truth.”
“Monsieur,” said Paul, “there is one woman whom a liar could not marry——”
“Chéri, you are not a liar!”
She jumped up and kissed him, and Monsieur Lefèbre raised his hands over them.
“Now, we must be serious. Let us see what we can make of this tangle. What is your idea, Paul?”
“I shall have to surrender myself as a deserter, monsieur. I suppose I shall be sent to England. If they could be persuaded to look at it as you have done——”
“Well, that is not impossible. The great thing is not to be in a hurry. One moment——”
He pulled a note-book towards him, opened it, and read a few notes that were neatly written at the top of one page. He reflected, smiling.
“May I tell Monsieur Durand?”
“We were going to tell him,” said Manon.