OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University

THE LODGER 17
to his mind. A sudden draught made him turn up the collar of his
camel's-hair coat, and he began to perspire heavily.
The train slowed down. There was a sound of voices, hurried
footsteps, and yellow light came in spurts through the chinks beside
the blinds, while a voice could be heard above the din, shouting
out the name of the station:
"Mons!"
A panting woman scrambled into another compartment in the
same coach and could be heard slamming her baggage on to the rack.
Elie awoke when someone flung the door open and called :
" Frontier! All passports ready, please! "
Propped on an elbow, Van der Boomp held his out.
" Thank you, sir."
Elie showed his and the man flicked the leaves over with a careless
linger.
" Thank you."
The train started and stopped again.
" Feignies Junction. All change for . . ."
Another man entered the compartment, and switched on the
white light.
" French Customs. Have you anything to declare? "
Van der Boomp was less flushed, now that the door had been
opened several times and the heat in the carriage reduced. But he
still looked half-dazed, though he was awake enough to hold out
a cigar-case containing six fat cigars.
" Right. Nothing else? What's in that suitcase? "
" Clothes—none of them new."
Elie, who had no luggage, held out his box of cigarettes. The
Customs officer retired and shut the door.
There was a hubbub of voices, shouts, footsteps, on the platform.
An agitated woman could be heard enquiring shrilly of a porter:
" Is the train leaving at once? "
" No, not till thirty-tw> past "
Elie lay down again, after switching off the white light.* Van der
Boomp seemed to have trouble in getting off to sleep and changed
his position several times. But after a quarter of an hour or so he
started snoring again.
Elie's eyes were open. His hands were so wet that he could hardly
grip the spanner, which was coated with a film of sweat. He kept
his eyes fixed on the small lamp-bulb overhead, the filaments of
which showed white through the blue glass.