OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University

THE SAILORS' RENDEZVOUS 245
" And then . .. ? "
" Nothing!... Be sensible, P'tit Louis! Go to bed...."
But P'tit Louis was in an advanced state of drunkenness. He was
maudlin. He embraced his comrade, whose chin was still bleeding,
and begged for forgiveness.
Maigret went out, his hands in his pockets, his coat-collar turned
up, for the air was chilly.
In the entrance hall of the Hotel de la Plage he saw a girl sitting
in a basket-chair. A man rose from another chair and smiled with
a trace of embarrassment.
It was Jorissen, the teacher from Quimper. Maigret hadn't seen
him for fifteen years, and the teacher wasn't quite sure how to
address him.
" Excuse ... excuse me. I. . . we've just arrived, Mademoiselle
L6onnec and I. ... I looked in all the hotels. They said that you . ..
that you'd be back. This is Pierre Le Clinche's fiancee. She
absolutely insisted. . . ."
A tall, rather pale girl, a little timid. But when Maigret shook
hands with her, he realized that behind her provincial awkwardness
and coquetry there was a will.
She said nothing. She was too impressed. So was Jorissen, the
simple teacher, who found his old comrade one of the big noises
of the Police Judiciaire.
" Madame Maigret was just pointed out to me in the drawingroom.
... I didn't dare ..."
Maigret looked at the girl. She was neither pretty nor plain, but
her simplicity was rather touching.
" You know he's innocent, don't you?" she managed to say
without looking at anyone.
The porter was waiting to get back to his bed. He had already
unbuttoned his waistcoat.
" We'll see about that tomorrow. You've got a room? ..."
" The room next to yours, Maig—Inspector," the teacher from
Quimper stammered in confusion. " And Mademoiselle Leonnec is
on the floor above. I'm afraid I'll have to go back tomorrow on
account of examinations.... Do you think ... ? "
" Tomorrow! We'll see! " Maigret repeated.
As he was getting into bed, his wife murmured, half-asleep:
" Don't forget to turn the light out."