OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University

134 MAINLY MAIGRET
" What was he like? "
She didn't understand at once. Then she went and fetched a
photograph. It showed a tall, round-faced man, with pale clear eyes
and closely cropped hair, who looked a picture of good health and
good-nature.
" That's Conrad. You wouldn't think he was forty, would you?
... His wife is older. Perhaps forty-five. ... I suppose you will be
seeing her. She's entirely different. Quite a different outlook. Of
course, everybody's Protestant here, but Liesbeth Popinga belongs
to the strictest sect of all. She's very conservative.. .."
" An active woman? "
" Yes, very. She's president of anything that's ever got up for
charity."
" So you don't like her? "
" Of course I do. .. . But. . . it's difficult to explain. . . . Her
father's a head-master, while I'm only a farmer's daughter. Do you
understand? . . . All the same, she's always very sweet and
kind "
" And now? . . . What happened? "
" We often have lectures here. It's only a little town of five
thousand people, but all the same we like to keep in touch with
what's going on. Last Thursday we had Professor Duclos of
Nancy. You know him, of course. ..."
She was astonished when Maigret told her he didn't, for she had
assumed the professor to be one of the lights of French civilization.
" A great lawyer. He specializes in criminology and criminal
psychology.... He was talking to us of criminal responsibility,
la responsabiliti des criminels. Is that right? Stop me if I make
mistakes.
" Madame Popinga is President of the Society, and the lecturers
always stay at her house. Often she invites people there to meet
them.
" She did so this time after the lecturfc. Not a real party. Just a few
friends. . .. There were Professor Duclos, Conrad Popinga and his
wife, Wienands with his wife and children, and lastly me."
" At what time was it? "
" Rather late. About ten o'clock.
" The Popingas' house is over half a mile from here, and it's on
the Amsterdiep too ... The Amsterdiep—that's the canal you can
see from where you're sitting.... We had tea and cakes, and there
was some cognac. Conrad put on the wireless. Oh, I forgot—Any