OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University

2 MAINLY MAIGRET
After turning off the taps she walked across the room to the
window. The bathroom mirror was coated with steam.
" I'II bet old Van der Boomp is sleeping late this morning. Isn't
it funny he should be staying at the Palace, too, and in the next
room to ours? "
But Elias Nagear—since coming to Belgium he had accepted,
not without some secret pleasure, the abbreviation of his name to
" Elie "—wasn't in a mood to find anything " funny," and he
grunted surlily:
" Damn Van der Boomp! I'm certain it's on his account you kept
me hanging about at that wretched bar till three in the morning."
"Don't be so absurd!"
He knew better, but it wasn't worth arguing about. When,
towards midnight, they had entered the Merrylandy the room had
been practically empty but for a few professional dancers glumly
eyeing their empty glasses. Under these conditions even the band
seemed reluctant to strike up, and Sylvie kept on yawning. But a
change had come over the scene when in the small hours a fat
Dutchman rolled in, escorted by two Belgians who were evidently
introducing him to the night life of the capital. Everybody seemed
to wake up, and one could have sworn the lights went brighter.
The Dutchman was obviously out to enjoy himself. He had a
hearty, boyish laugh. A quarter of an hour after his appearance, four
girls were chattering at his table, champagne was flowing freely, the
smoke of exotic cigarettes and Havana cigars mingling above their
heads.
Standing beside Elie at the bar, Sylvie kept looking enviously at
the group.
" If you're feeling rotten, go to bed. I'm staying here."
It wasn't jealousy, but he refused to budge—perhaps just to
aggravate her.
" I suppose you're staying on account of Van der Boomp? " he
suggested. " Van der Boomp " was the name Sylvie had invented
for the portly Dutchman. It got on her nerves to see other girls
swilling champagne while she was sipping a modest gin-fizz at the
bar.
" I don't think much of his taste, anyhow," she whispered, after
a long, appraising look at the four girls. Then, abruptly changing
her mind, she added: " All right. Let's go."
When they were crossing the lobby of the Palace Hotel on their
way to the lift they saw the swing-door open and Van der Boomp