Діти залізниці
Prisoners and captives.
"Takehimintoyourroom,"whisperedBobbietotheStationMaster."MothercantalkFrench.She’llbeherebythenexttrainfromMaidbridge."
TheStationMastertookthearmofthestranger,suddenlybutnotunkindly.Butthemanwrenchedhisarmaway,andcoweredbackcoughingandtremblingandtryingtopushtheStationMasteraway.
"Oh,don’t!"saidBobbie;"don’tyouseehowfrightenedheis?Hethinksyou’regoingtoshuthimup.Iknowhedoes—lookathiseyes!"
"They’relikeafox’seyeswhenthebeast’sinatrap,"saidthefarmer.
"Oh,letmetry!"Bobbiewenton;"IdoreallyknowoneortwoFrenchwordsifIcouldonlythinkofthem."
Sometimes,inmomentsofgreatneed,wecandowonderfulthings—thingsthatinordinarylifewecouldhardlyevendreamofdoing.BobbiehadneverbeenanywherenearthetopofherFrenchclass,butshemusthavelearnedsomethingwithoutknowingit,fornow,lookingatthosewild,huntedeyes,sheactuallyrememberedand,whatismore,spoke,someFrenchwords.Shesaid:—
"Vousattendre.MamereparlezFrancais.Nous—what’stheFrenchfor‘beingkind’?"
Nobodyknew.
"Bongis‘good,’"saidPhyllis.
"Nousetrebongpourvous.