OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University

92 MAINLY MAIGRET
that practically all the traffic in those parts consists of camelcaravans."
" What? Ain't there no railway? " Baron seemed surprised.
" Not yet. The plans have been drawn up, but that's as far as they
have got. Only imagine the distances to cover! We reckon them in
thousands of miles in our part of Europe."
Really Baron was now the only one to display much interest in
Elic's chatter. He may have been a trifle puzzled by the reserved
attitude of die others, but it wasn't marked enough for him to
comment on it.
Elie, on the other hand, was more loquacious than ever. He had
got over his cold and stiff neck, ate heartily, and went on having,
unlike the other lodgers, a full-length dinner every night. Indeed,
he had never seemed in better form.
On the first night everybody had eyed him curiously as he piled
his plate with meat and vegetables, while the others were content
with bread and butter. But he seemed quite unconscious of their
scrutiny. Noticing a plate of cheese in front of Baron, he asked
politely:
" That Roquefort looks excellent. Would you mind passing it? "
Antoinette, however, seemed to have lost her appetite completely,
and her father was quite perturbed.
" You're not looking at all fit, my dear. I've never seen your face
so peaked. I suppose it's something to do with your age. Growing
pains, most likely. But that's all the more reason to eat well."
Elie promptly put in a remark.
" Yes, my sister got like 'that when she was Antoinette's age.
In fact, we were afraid of losing her, and Mother packed her off to
Greece for a change of air. Ever been in Greece? "
" It's just thoughtlessness," Madame Baron whispered to Moise.
" He don't seem to realize *. ."
Earlier in the day he had told her in a quite matter-of-fact tone:
" You know, you needn't worry, Madame Baron, about the
money I owe you. I've written to my sister, and it should be here
in a week's time."
She had thought it wiser not to reply, and busied herself with
her cooking. But when she noticed him picking up the bag of
mussels she had brought that morning, and opening a drawer to
get a knife, she couldn't help remarking:
" What ever are you up to? "
" Oh, I'm going to give you a hand at trimming these mussels."