V for Vengeance by Dennis Wheatley Read Free Book Online Page A

would hear the Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Winston Churchill.
    Madame Lavallière endeavoured to pick out a sentence here and there. Luc Ferrière sat with downcast expressionless face. Madeleine, standing at the end of the bed, gripped its edge with ever-rising excitement until the last great declaration of defiance made music in her brain.
    â€˜What has happened in France makes no difference to British faith and purpose. We have become the sole champion now in arms to defend the world cause. We shall defend our island, and with the British Empire around us we shall fight on, unconquerable, until the curse of Hitler is lifted from the brows of men.’
    â€˜There!’ she cried triumphantly, as the dogged, courageous voice ceased; and for her mother’s benefit she translated the last sentence into French. ‘They will fight on, unconquerable, until the curse of Hitler is lifted from the brows of men. You heard that, Monsieur Ferrière—you heard it! Now what have you to say?’
    He spread out his hands and gave a little pitying smile. ‘The old lion may roar, but he has lost his teeth. The English Channel is not the barrier that it used to be. Now that greatfleets of aeroplanes can be sent against the island Hitler and his Luftwaffe will make short work of Churchill.’
    For a moment all Madeleine’s hopes were dashed once more. What he had said of the English Channel seemed so true, and if once the Germans could make a landing, covered by their great Air Force, how could the little British Army, which had already lost most of its equipment at Dunkirk, possibly stand up against all the armoured millions that Hitler could launch against it?
    Luc Ferrière was speaking again. ‘You see now how stupid it is to cherish these wild ideas that it is possible any longer to defeat the might of Germany. Since that is so, it becomes the duty of all to accept the situation and turn our energies to recovering from the effects of the war as quickly as we can. Our own political system has failed lamentably, and however much our propagandists may have taught us to dislike Hitler we cannot escape the fact that with his vision and great ability he has rebuilt a new, strong Germany in a remarkably short time. No doubt he has his plans for a full reconstruction of Europe, and to endeavour to thwart him would only be to bash our heads against a solid wall. Germany offered her friendship to France before the war in an attempt to keep her out of it. Very foolishly we preferred to sacrifice ourselves to the interests of Britain; but that is all over now—a folly of the past, which should be forgotten. We must accept our defeat with clam and dignity—I think I used those words the other night, and our great leader used them only this morning. Then by giving our full co-operation and goodwill to our late enemies we may hope…’
    â€˜You—you really mean that you’re prepared to help the men who killed Georges!’ gasped Madeleine. ‘You can’t! It’s horrible! Utterly horrible!’ And with a little cry of despair she ran from the room.
    Monsieur Ferrière sadly shook his narrow head. ‘Poor little one!’ he murmured. ‘I am so distressed for her; but she is still quite young. She will live and learn that we older ones are right.’
    Having kissed Madame Lavallière’s hand and thanked her for receiving him, he let himself out.
    In her bedroom, with her face buried in the pillows,Madeleine lay sobbing out her heart. To her the ‘Mayor of Batignolles’ attitude seemed utterly incredible; yet she knew that he not only represented official France, but also a great section of French opinion. Her mother, although she had said little, had obviously sided with him. Then there was Pierre. He too, although a young man, so obviously preferred surrender at any price to the risk of death, mutilation, or even discomfort. Far away across