OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University

A CRIME IN HOLLAND 223
" She's in bed. . .. She always goes to bed at nine."
" I see. Well, go and tell her to come down for a moment....
She needn't bother to dress."
And in the same quiet, monotonous voice as at the beginning he
reiterated:
" You were dancing with Conrad, Beetje.... In the corner they
were talking seriously... . And someone knew that there was going
to be a murder. .. . Someone knew that it was Popinga's last evening
on this earth. ..."
•
Noises overhead. Steps, then the shutting of a door somewhere
on the second floor, which was only composed of garrets. Then
more steps and a murmur of voices. Finally Any came back into the
room, while the servant hovered in the passage.
" Come inside," growled Maigret. " Someone tell her to come in
and not to be frightened."
She had a large flat face with ill-defined features. Though still
blear-eyed with sleep, she looked scared out of her wits. Over her
cream-coloured flannelette nightgown, which reached to her feet,
she had merely slipped on her overcoat. Her hair was tousled.
Maigret once more enlisted the professor's services as interpreter.
" Ask her whether she was Popinga's mistress."
With a pained expression, Madame Popinga turned her head
away. The question was translated. The girl shook her head.
" Ask her again. .. . No! Ask her if her master ever tried to get
round her. ..."
Another vigorous denial.
" Tell her that she can be sent to prison if she doesn't tell the
truth. Let's come down to details. Did he ever kiss her? Did he
ever go into her room when she was there? "
The answer this time was a sudden gush of tears.
" I never did anything wrong," pleaded the girl in her nightgown.
" I never did. ... I promise. ..."
Little as Duclos liked the job, he translated what she said. With
her lips pursed, Any stared at the maid.
" And now come back to the first question: Was she his
mistress? "
But the girl could no longer speak coherently. She wept, she
wailed, she protested. She explained and asked forgiveness.