OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
292 MAINLY MAIGRET He was looking at Le Clinche. He guessed he was die fiance, and he probably took the Maigrets for the parents of the girl! Two or three times the operator made the same gesture as he had made that morning during the identification, a rapid movement of his hand across his forehead. A feeble, weary gesture, " What shall we do? " The room was emptying. The four of them were standing on the terrace. " Shall we sit down a little? " Madame Maigret proposed. Their beach-chairs were still on the sand. The Maigrets sat down. The young people stood for a moment, rather embarrassed. " Shall we go for a walk? " Marie Leonnec risked the suggestion with a vague smile in Madame Maigret's direction. Left alone with his wife, the inspector lit a pipe and growled: " I look for all the world like a prospective father-in-law! " " They don't know what to do. It's a delicate situation ..." his wife remarked, following them with her eyes. " Look at them. They're embarrassed. ... I may be wrong, but I think Marie has more character than her fiance\ ..." It certainly was a pitiful sight to see that skinny figure walking listlessly along, taking no notice of his surroundings and, as one could guess from far off, saying nothing at all. And yet one could see that Marie was making great efforts, chatting away to make him forget his troubles, even trying to appear gay. There were other groups on the beach. But Le Clinche was the only man without white trousers. He was dressed for town, and that made him look more melancholy still. " How old is he? " asked Madame Maigret. And her husband, lying back in his deck-chair, his eyes halfclosed, answered: " Nineteen. He's only a boy. . .. But I'm very much afraid that from now on he's a doomed man...." " Why? Isn't he innocent? " " He probably didn't do the murder. No! I'd swear to that. But I'm afraid that he's lost, all the same.... Look at him. Just look! " " Nonsense! Once they're alone and have kissed each other...." " Perhaps " Maigret was pessimistic. " She's not much older than him. She's very fond of him. She's prepared to be a nice little wife. . . ."
THE SAILORS' RENDEZVOUS 293 " Why do you think that... ? " " That it won't come off? Just an impression. . . . Have you ever looked at the photographs of people who died young? I have always been struck by the fact that those portraits, taken when the people were in good health, have already something melancholy about them. One might say that those destined to be the victims of a tragedy carry their doom on their faces. . .." " And you find that this boy .. . ? " " Is a victim, and has always been a victim! He was born poor! He suffered from his poverty! He slaved away as best he could, desperately, like someone swimming against the current! He managed to get engaged to a charming girl in a social position superior to his. Well! I don't believe it. . .. Look at them. They're discussing things. They want to be optimistic. They're trying to believe in their future. ..." Maigret talked quietly in a low tone while with his eyes he followed the two silhouettes outlined against the sparkling sea. " Who is officially in charge of the case? " " Girard, a superintendent at Le Havre. You don't know him. An intelligent man. ..." " Does he think he's guilty? " " No! In any case, there's no proof, not even any serious presumptive evidence. ..." 44 What do you think?" Maigret turned as if to look at the trawler which was hidden behind a block of houses. " I think it was a fatal trip, for two men at least. . . . Fatal enough for Captain Fallut, when he came back, not to be able to go on living, and for the operator, not to be able to take up the normal thread of his life again. ..." " Because of a woman? " He did not answer directly, but went on: " And all the others, those who took no part in the tragedy, even the stokers, were branded by it, without their knowing. They came back surly, uneasy. . . . Two men and a woman for three months revolving round a deck-cabin. . . . Just a few black bulkheads pierced by port-holes. . . . That was all. .. ." " I've seldom seen you so affected by a case. You talk of three people. ... What could they have done, out at sea? " " Yes.... What could they have done? Something that was sufficient to kill Captain Fallut!... And which is still sufficient to
- Page 258 and 259: 242 MAINLY MAIGRET always like this
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THE SAILORS' RENDEZV<strong>OU</strong>S 293<br />
" Why do you think that... ? "<br />
" That it won't come off? Just an impression. . . . Have you ever<br />
looked at the photographs of people who died young? I have<br />
always been struck by the fact that those portraits, taken when the<br />
people were in good health, have already something melancholy<br />
about them. One might say that those destined to be the victims of a<br />
tragedy carry their doom on their faces. . .."<br />
" And you find that this boy .. . ? "<br />
" Is a victim, and has always been a victim! He was born poor!<br />
He suffered from his poverty! He slaved away as best he could,<br />
desperately, like someone swimming against the current! He managed<br />
to get engaged to a charming girl in a social position superior<br />
to his. Well! I don't believe it. . .. Look at them. They're<br />
discussing things. They want to be optimistic. They're trying to<br />
believe in their future. ..."<br />
Maigret talked quietly in a low tone while with his eyes he<br />
followed the two silhouettes outlined against the sparkling sea.<br />
" Who is officially in charge of the case? "<br />
" Girard, a superintendent at Le Havre. You don't know him.<br />
An intelligent man. ..."<br />
" Does he think he's guilty? "<br />
" No! In any case, there's no proof, not even any serious presumptive<br />
evidence. ..."<br />
44 What do you think?"<br />
Maigret turned as if to look at the trawler which was hidden<br />
behind a block of houses.<br />
" I think it was a fatal trip, for two men at least. . . . Fatal enough<br />
for Captain Fallut, when he came back, not to be able to go on living,<br />
and for the operator, not to be able to take up the normal thread of his<br />
life again. ..."<br />
" Because of a woman? "<br />
He did not answer directly, but went on:<br />
" And all the others, those who took no part in the tragedy,<br />
even the stokers, were branded by it, without their knowing. They<br />
came back surly, uneasy. . . . Two men and a woman for three<br />
months revolving round a deck-cabin. . . . Just a few black bulkheads<br />
pierced by port-holes. . . . That was all. .. ."<br />
" I've seldom seen you so affected by a case. You talk of three<br />
people. ... What could they have done, out at sea? "<br />
" Yes.... What could they have done? Something that was<br />
sufficient to kill Captain Fallut!... And which is still sufficient to
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