"I CAN'T SHOOT"
The front door of the chateau was open. Gaston and another man were moving a big table into the
dining-room. He said, "Monsieur Paul has been looking for you all the morning. He says that you
haven't given any orders to Robert. I will call him."
I wandered: Who is Robert? What orders?
Just then a small man with grey hair came in.
"Good morning, Robert. What do you want to know?"
"It's about tomorrow, the great yearly shooting-party."
"Oh yes! Yes, of course. I've had a great deal to think about and I haven't quiet worked out the
arrangements. Please see me at two o'clock."
I went outside and stood under that big tree where I had hidden on the first night. What was I to do
? I knew nothing about shooting-parties and I did not shoot.
I walked on. Then I smelled smoke and saw a bonfire burning up wood and leaves. Just then Jean de
Gue's watch fell onto the ground: the band which held it in place had broken. I walked on with the
watch in my hand.
Then I knew what I would do. I went to the fire. I threw the watch into it. Then I knelt down and
pushed my right hand into it till I held the watch. The pain was terrible.
I fell back, fainting, with the watch forgotten on the ground beside me. Then I got up and ran
towards the chateau. I fell onto a seat in the sitting-room. Then all was dark. I heard Renee call
for Paul and for Blanche.
Blanche came and put something cool on my burnt hand which made the pain less, and she put a clean
cloth over it.
Marie-Noel had now come; she was looking down at me with wide eyes.
"What happened?" said Renee.
"My watc fell into the bonfire, so I put my hands in to pick it out. I didn't think that the fire
would be so hot."
"Well," said Paul, "you won't be able to shoot tomorrow. All that trouble for a watch!"
"And it wasn't his gold watch. That is being repaired," said Marie-Noel. "It was the old silver
watch which Monsieur Duval gave him on his twenty-first birthday."
"That's why I didn't want to lose it."
There was a strange silence.
Marie-Noel said, "Here's your watch. I found it near the bonefire."
Dr Lebrun came. Blanche, cool and calm, took my hand between hers and the doctor dressed it. I saw
her looking at the watch, and from the watch on me. Our eyes met, questioning: did she know the
truth?
I went to rest alone in the libraty. After the midday meal the family came to ask how I was.
"Paul," I said, "you can arrange everything for tomorrow with Robert. If I can't shoot I'm not
intersted."
I stayed there until dinner-time. At dinner Paul and Renee were full of arrangements for the shoot,
the plans for the meal, the time when the guest would arrive. My foolish behaviour had given them
purpose and power. Renee, with Francoise out of the way, felt herself the lady of the house.
Marie-Noel did not come down after dinner as she usually did. I went up to say good night to her.
"I've been thinking about you," she said.
"You needn't trouble yourself about me. My hand is much better tonight. It was a silly thing to
happen--my watch falling off, and my picking it out of the bonfire."
She looked up at me. "But, "she said, "it didn't fall off. I was watching. You threw it into the
bonfire. Why? Is it because it was Maurice Duval's watch? ... Oh, Grandmother told me never to talk
about him to you or to Aunt Blanche. Or was it because you were tired of all killing and didn't want
to take any more life--even a birds?"
"Perhaps," I said.