OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University

no MAINLY MAIGRET
Suddenly she gave a start; her cheeks grew pale.
"Listen!"
A car had stopped outside. There was the sound of someone
walking briskly up the steps, a rattle of the letter-box.
" You go and open. I don't feel up to it."
The door opened just enough to let someone enter and to give
a glimpse of a taxi drawn up outside, its windows flashing in the
level light. There was a click of high heels on the tiles.
Sylvie burst into the kitchen, bringing with her a gust of icy air.
Without even pausing to kiss her mother she asked excitedly:
" Has he gone? "
Tactfully Moise had remained outside, in the hall, but Madame
Baron called him in, perhaps because she feared being alone with her
daughter. Sylvie unbuttoned her coat and poured herself out some
rum, without troubling to fetch a clean glass.
" So he's still here! Didn't Antoinette get my letter? "
" Don't talk so loud. Your pa's upstairs."
From which she gathered that her father had been kept in the
dark. But that was a side-issue, and she had no time to waste on it.
" Anyhow, they haven't been here yet, have they? "
" There's been a policeman in front of the house all the morning,
and another at the back."
" Did they come from Brussels? "
" How can I know? The man in front hasn't moved once. Monsieur
Valesco's keeping an eye on him, from his window."
Sylvie ran up the stairs and entered the young man's room without
knocking. He looked round and bowed to her hastily.
" Is that him? That little fellow? "
" Yes. He's just taken the number of your taxi."
Sylvie had told the taximan to wait, and he was now pacing up
and down the pavement in front of the house.
Valesco asked: " Have you come from Brussels? "
She walked out of the room without answering. All her movements
were brisk, decided. She passed her sister on the stairs without
a word. Greatly impressed, Madame Baron watched her activities
from the kitchen, and sighed:
" I wonder what she means to do? "
Moise said confidently:
" Oh, she knows what she's about, and she'll handle it much
better than we should."
But everyone gave a start—Valesco as well as the two in the