OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
8 MAINLY MAIGRET " Doing the rooms/* No sooner had she spoken than Antoinette came down the stairs carrying a pail and a floorcloth. For a moment she stared at her sister, then exclaimed; "Gosh!" " What did you say? " " I said ' Gosh! ' You are dolled up I Got a job in the movies? " They dabbed their lips to each other's cheeks. Antoinette's eyes fell on the blue slippers. " Are they for me? " " Well, I'd meant them for Ma, but as she doesn't want them .. . I've brought you some stockings and undies. Look! " Sylvie opened the other parcels, but without much interest. A pipe rolled out and smashed on the floor. "Will Pa be back soon?" " Not till tonight. He's on the Ostend express now. You'll wait to see him, won't you? " " Nothing doing today. But I'll be coming again." Her mother was eyeing her shrewdly. Perched on a chair, her sister had pulled up her skirt, displaying her thin legs, and was trying on the stockings. There was a smell of soup, a sound of water boiling, the comfortable drone of a well-fed fire. " All your rooms let? " " Didn't you see the card in the window? The ground-floor room's empty—the dearest one, needless to say. Nowadays foreigners don't seem to have no money. You saw Monsieur Moise just now) well, he has to come and study in the kitchen as he can't afford a fire in his room. Lay the table, Antoinette. We'll have a snack before the lodgers come." " So you still give'them board? " " There's two come every day for lunch. If I didn't feed 'em, they'd be always plaguing me for hot water to make coffee and boil eggs, and messing up their rooms with riots and pans." Madame Baron was astout,short-legged woman. Antoinette, who was shorter and thinner than her elder sister, had a quaint, bird-like little face, pale-blue, laughing eyes. " So you've taken to using rouge? " her elder sister observed. " Why shouldn't I? You make up all right." " It doesn't suit you. At your age ..." " When you were my age you did lots of other things! *' Her mother was straining the soup on a comer of the range.
THE LODGER 9 Beyond the window was a small back-yard, and big drops of melted snow were dripping from the eaves. • Shielding his mouth with his hand, the porter at the Palace murmured into the telephone: " Is that you, Monsieur Van der Cruyssen? There's a gentleman here, a Monsieur Blanqui, who would like to see you. Shall I send him up? . .. Would you go up, sir? Room 413, Fourth Floor." Elie had managed to drag himself out of the sodden bed. His throat swathed in a muffler, slippers on his feet, he was prowling round the room, at a loose end. He had heard someone talking on the 'phone in the next room. For some moments he stood at the window idly gazing at the snow-bound city, the pond in the Botanical Gardens, the three half-frozen swans. The din of trams and hooting cars jarred in his aching head. " Come in." The voice was in the next room. On occasion the two bedrooms formed part of a suite, and there was only a locked door between ?them. The voices in the adjoining room could be heard as distinctly as the clanging of the trams. " Good morning, Monsieur Van der Cruyssen. Sorry to be so late, but I had to call in at the bank. . . ." Elie listened with half an ear. He felt hot and cold all over. It struck him that a hot bath might do him good, but he hadn't the energy to set about it. " So you've decided to leave tonight? " the voice went on. " Yes, I'm taking the last train to Paris.... What will you have to drink? A glass of port? " A voice could be heard giving an order down the telephone to the wine-waiter. When that was done Elie followed suit: he, however, ordered a hot grog. Catching sight of his face in the looking-glass, he was appalled by its ugliness. But that might be because he hadn't shaved, and the mauve scarf emphasized the sallowness of his skin, the dark half-moons under his eyes. " As you wished, I've taken the money in French notes." Elie bent dowfTand put an eye to the keyhole. He saw a small man, who looked like an accountant or a broker, laying on the table ten bundles of notes.
- Page 1: UNIVERSAL LIBRARY OU_214051 UNIVERS
- Page 5 and 6: Georges Simenon MAINLY MAIGRET The
- Page 7: The Lodger CONTENTS A NOTE FOR THE
- Page 10 and 11: xii A NOTE FOR THE READER times his
- Page 13 and 14: I " FOR heaven's sake shut the wind
- Page 15 and 16: THE LODGER 3 roll in. So the girls
- Page 17 and 18: THE LOGGER 5 peering at her made he
- Page 19: THE LODGER 7 in which a nondescript
- Page 23 and 24: THE LODGER II perhaps because he ha
- Page 25 and 26: THE LODGER '3 « Lucky devil I" And
- Page 27 and 28: THE LODGER *5 fingers made the move
- Page 29 and 30: THE LODGER 17 to his mind. A sudden
- Page 31 and 32: THE LODGER *9 strength to raise it
- Page 33 and 34: THE LODGER 21 He took no thought, b
- Page 35 and 36: THE LODGER 23 It was dark by the ti
- Page 37 and 38: THE LODGER *? But, even before she
- Page 39 and 40: THE LODGER 27 and settled down behi
- Page 41 and 42: THE LODGER *9 His lips were blue. N
- Page 43 and 44: THE LODGER 3* The snow had melted.
- Page 45 and 46: THE LODGER 33 hips. Her stockings s
- Page 47 and 48: THE LODGER 35 " Monsieur Moise! We'
- Page 49 and 50: THE LODGER 37 some small pork pies;
- Page 51 and 52: THE LODGER 39 He had only employed
- Page 53 and 54: THE LODGER 4* notes were there, to
- Page 55 and 56: THE LODGER 43 the house. Of course
- Page 57 and 58: THE LODGER 45 " Are you in bed? " M
- Page 59 and 60: THE LODGER 47 He had sweated copiou
- Page 61 and 62: THE LODGER 49 " Hope I'm not intrud
- Page 63 and 64: THE LODGER 5* " By the way," he sai
- Page 65 and 66: THE LODGER 53 " What do you think o
- Page 67 and 68: THE LODGER 55 on the musician. Just
- Page 69 and 70: THE LODGER 57 that killed him. When
THE LODGER 9<br />
Beyond the window was a small back-yard, and big drops of melted<br />
snow were dripping from the eaves.<br />
•<br />
Shielding his mouth with his hand, the porter at the Palace<br />
murmured into the telephone:<br />
" Is that you, Monsieur Van der Cruyssen? There's a gentleman<br />
here, a Monsieur Blanqui, who would like to see you. Shall I send<br />
him up? . .. Would you go up, sir? Room 413, Fourth Floor."<br />
Elie had managed to drag himself out of the sodden bed. His<br />
throat swathed in a muffler, slippers on his feet, he was prowling<br />
round the room, at a loose end. He had heard someone talking on<br />
the 'phone in the next room. For some moments he stood at the<br />
window idly gazing at the snow-bound city, the pond in the<br />
Botanical Gardens, the three half-frozen swans. The din of trams<br />
and hooting cars jarred in his aching head.<br />
" Come in."<br />
The voice was in the next room. On occasion the two bedrooms<br />
formed part of a suite, and there was only a locked door between<br />
?them. The voices in the adjoining room could be heard as distinctly<br />
as the clanging of the trams.<br />
" Good morning, Monsieur Van der Cruyssen. Sorry to be so<br />
late, but I had to call in at the bank. . . ."<br />
Elie listened with half an ear. He felt hot and cold all over. It<br />
struck him that a hot bath might do him good, but he hadn't the<br />
energy to set about it.<br />
" So you've decided to leave tonight? " the voice went on.<br />
" Yes, I'm taking the last train to Paris.... What will you have<br />
to drink? A glass of port? "<br />
A voice could be heard giving an order down the telephone to<br />
the wine-waiter.<br />
When that was done Elie followed suit: he, however, ordered<br />
a hot grog. Catching sight of his face in the looking-glass, he was<br />
appalled by its ugliness. But that might be because he hadn't shaved,<br />
and the mauve scarf emphasized the sallowness of his skin, the dark<br />
half-moons under his eyes.<br />
" As you wished, I've taken the money in French notes."<br />
Elie bent dowfTand put an eye to the keyhole. He saw a small<br />
man, who looked like an accountant or a broker, laying on the table<br />
ten bundles of notes.
Change language