ÉTRANGER-GROUPE 2*, SESSION DE JUIN 1995 LANGUE VIVANTE I

Nicky continued to watch Mm. This was a man she had loved and adored, whom she had been intending to marry, and to whom she had been wholly committed. She had been intimate with him on every level, shared so much with him, but at this precise moment

5 he seemed like a total stranger to her. She sat down and said, "I'm calmer now, Charles. Talk."

"What I'm about to tell you is extremely confidential. You can-not tell anyone. Not ever. And not even my mother."

When Nicky remained completely silent, he said, "Promise me 10 that you won't reveal that I am alive, or repeat what I'm about to tell you to anyone, least of all my mother."

"I don't know that I can do that."

"Then I'm afraid I cannot tell you anything."

"Why mustn't Anne know anything?"

15      "Because she would want to see me if she knew I was alive, and that' s impossible. It could be dangerous — for her," he said.

He did not answer this question, instead, he said to her, "If you give me your promise, then I will tell you everything. Well, at least 20 I will tell you why I faked my own death and disappeared."

"Okay, I promise. I won't tell Anne or anyone elle that you're alive. Nor will I disclose what you now say to me in confidence."

"No other living soul, Nicky. Say it."

"I won't tell another living soul. I promise."

25      "I sincerely hope you mean that. I think you do. It's not in your nature to break your word. But let me just add this — what I'm in-volved in has to do with national security. British national security."

Nicky leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "I told you I wouldn't say a word, and I won't."

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³⁰  "Ail right." He sank back in the chair, and after a moment said in a low voice, "I am a British agent."

This was the last thing she had expected to hear, but thunders-truck though she was she kept her expression neutral. Whyever didn't I drink of the intelligence business? She wondered, but she said in 35 a cool, very steady voice, "You're with MI 6, is that it?"

"A special branch of SIS, actually." "What is SIS?"

"The Secret Intelligence Service, which is the same as MI6, more or less. And I faked my suicide and disappeared because it became 40 necessary for me to assume a new identity."

"Why?" Nicky asked, leaning forward again.

"I needed a new identity in order to infiltrate a foreign intelli­gence service."

"Are you telling me that you're a mole?"

45      "That is correct, I am."

"Which foreign intelligence service have you infiltrated?"

"Now, you know damn well I can't reveal that to you, Nicky. Corne on, use that intelligent head of yours," he said.

She nodded. "I understand. How long have you been an agent?"

50      "For years. Fifteen years, to be exact. Since I was twenty-five."

"So you were working for British intelligence when you met me", she said.

"I was indeed", he confirmed.

Barbara TAYLOR BRADFORD, Abridged from Remember, 1991.

* Belgique, Grande-Bretagne, Pays-Bas, Danemark, Pologne, Autriche, Russie, Norvège, Mexique, Haïti, Venezuela, Équateur, Colombie.

A. Compréhension de l'écrit

1. Tick the right answer. 1. This is an extract from:

a)  a comic.                         q c) a science fiction novel. q

b)  a contemporary novel. q d) a newspaper article.     q

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