OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
1o MAINLY MAIGRET "l Count them, please." Van der Cruyssen (Elie still thought of him as " Van der Boomp ") was in a black dressing-gown and scarlet slippers. He counted the notes, flicking them expertly, like one who is used to handling large sums of paper money. Then he placed them in a pigskin attache-case. " Come in." A waiter entered, carrying a bottle of port, another of rum, and a tumbler of hot water. These last were for Elie, who stepped back from the communicating door and, in his turn, called: " Come in." • The midday meal was beginning at the Barons'. Madame Baron kept on her feet, waiting on her daughters and the lodgers, Domb and Valesco, who had just come back. The two young men eyed Sylvie with frank admiration. She seemed amused by the impression she was making and her sister's furious glances in her direction. " Do you know Bucharest? " asked Plutarc Valesco, who was a Rumanian. " I should just think I do! What's more, I know nearly all your cabinet ministers." " A delightful place, isn't it? " " Not too bad—only everybody's stony-broke. . .." • Sitting on the arm of an easy-chair, Elie sipped his hot grog and gazed down at the Avenue, swarming now with the lunch-hour crowd. Tiny snowflakes were beginning to float down from the sullen yellow sky. " Au revoir then. Hope you'll have a good time at Paris." " Thanks. See you next Wednesday." There followed a sound of running taps in Van der Boomp's bathroom.... Nightfall came early, at half-past three, and found Elie lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, which was dappled with roving gleams thrown up from the street below. At four the hall-porter saw him going out, and noticed that he hadn't shaved. In fact, he had an unusually bedraggled appearance,
THE LODGER II perhaps because he hadn't troubled to get out a clean shirt and collar. " If Madame comes back while you're out, sir, is there any message? " u No, thanks. I'II be back presently." His cheeks were flushed; he looked like a man in the last stages of consumption. • The headlights lit up a drab expanse of muddy road and the low branches of the dripping trees. The window behind the chauffeur's seat was open and he said to Sylvie over his shoulder: " I've a brother living at Marcinelles, quite near Charleroi. I thought you wouldn't be in a hurry, so I looked him up." " What's his job? " " Oh, nothing much. He's employed at the gasworks." As they neared Brussels there were lighted cafes fringing the road, and the car skirted refuges on which loomed the dark, whitehelmeted forms of traffic policemen. " Monsieur Nagear has just gone out," the porter told Sylvie as she walked towards the lift. " Oh? Did he leave any message? " At eight he was still out, and she went down to the grill-room to dine. Van der Boomp was at a table near by, and she noticed that he kept on trying to catch her eye as she ate the lobster mayonnaise of which her repast consisted. But, to her surprise, when she went out and started strolling about the lobby, lingering in front of the show-cases, he did not come up and speak to her. She went up to the bedroom, and after a while there was a sound of suitcases being closed in the next room, and she heard Van der Boomp say to the valet: " No, the places in the sleeping-cars are all booked up. A firstclass couchette, please. GePme one facing the engine if you can." She changed her dress lackadaisically; she was feeling tired and, perhaps, a little depressed. There was still no sign of Elie. She counted the money remaining in her bag: a hundred and fifteen francs. Still undecided what to do, she walked to the lift. Near the street door she paused, to hand the room-key to the porter. "A shame, isn't it, that he's leaving," the man remarked familiarly.
- 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 and 20: THE LODGER 7 in which a nondescript
- Page 21: THE LODGER 9 Beyond the window was
- 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
- Page 71 and 72: THE LODGER 59 But it fell flat. Nob
THE LODGER II<br />
perhaps because he hadn't troubled to get out a clean shirt and<br />
collar.<br />
" If Madame comes back while you're out, sir, is there any<br />
message? "<br />
u No, thanks. I'II be back presently."<br />
His cheeks were flushed; he looked like a man in the last stages of<br />
consumption.<br />
•<br />
The headlights lit up a drab expanse of muddy road and the low<br />
branches of the dripping trees. The window behind the chauffeur's<br />
seat was open and he said to Sylvie over his shoulder:<br />
" I've a brother living at Marcinelles, quite near Charleroi. I<br />
thought you wouldn't be in a hurry, so I looked him up."<br />
" What's his job? "<br />
" Oh, nothing much. He's employed at the gasworks."<br />
As they neared Brussels there were lighted cafes fringing the<br />
road, and the car skirted refuges on which loomed the dark, whitehelmeted<br />
forms of traffic policemen.<br />
" Monsieur Nagear has just gone out," the porter told Sylvie as<br />
she walked towards the lift.<br />
" Oh? Did he leave any message? "<br />
At eight he was still out, and she went down to the grill-room to<br />
dine. Van der Boomp was at a table near by, and she noticed that<br />
he kept on trying to catch her eye as she ate the lobster mayonnaise<br />
of which her repast consisted. But, to her surprise, when she went<br />
out and started strolling about the lobby, lingering in front of the<br />
show-cases, he did not come up and speak to her.<br />
She went up to the bedroom, and after a while there was a sound<br />
of suitcases being closed in the next room, and she heard Van der<br />
Boomp say to the valet:<br />
" No, the places in the sleeping-cars are all booked up. A firstclass<br />
couchette, please. GePme one facing the engine if you can."<br />
She changed her dress lackadaisically; she was feeling tired and,<br />
perhaps, a little depressed. There was still no sign of Elie. She<br />
counted the money remaining in her bag: a hundred and fifteen<br />
francs.<br />
Still undecided what to do, she walked to the lift. Near the street<br />
door she paused, to hand the room-key to the porter.<br />
"A shame, isn't it, that he's leaving," the man remarked<br />
familiarly.
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