OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
68 MAINJLY MAIGRET thousand-franc notes had been burnt, except the one he had given to Madame Baron. And that, too, was to all intents and purposes as worthless as if it had been destroyed. Antoinette was already aware of this. Quite possibly Madame Baron, too, would get to know it. And a month's board and lodging cost eight hundred francs! He hadn't given a thought to this before, and now he was appalled at his predicament. Supposing, for instance, he had to leave at a moment's notice. . .. But no, he wouldn't go away. Really this was an ideal refuge. " They " would never dream of coming to look for him in a humble, out-of-the-way lodging-house. Still, he foresaw trouble ahead. One of these days Madame Baron would be asking him for money, and what would happen then? Just now she made more fuss of him than of the others—simply because he paid most. He took full board, and was the only one to have meat and vegetables at his evening meal; the only one, too, who had a fire in his room all day.. .. She had come back to the house. The vegetable-seller had moved a little farther up the street. An almost empty tram went by. And Elie was still considering with dismay the prospect of being turned out of the house for lack of money. It would be nothing short of a disaster! He was sorry now that he had lent those three hundred francs to Valesco. But how could he have got out of it? In his present position wasn't it up to him to make himself agreeable to everybody? " Monsieur Elie! " Madame Baron was calling him from the kitchen. When he joined her he found her taking a frying-pan off the range. " I'd better give you your breakfast before I go up and do the rooms. How are you feeling today? " When Baron was out Elie always used the wickerwork armchair, which gave a shrill, protesting squeak whenever he sat down in it. The kitchen smelt of eggs and bacon. Only Elie's corner of the table was laid. " Anything else you'd like? I must go upstairs at once, as I've my ironing this afternoon." A minute later he heard her talking to Moise, and caught a word or two. "... better in the kitchen ,.. I've no patience with you ... overcoat... your death of pneumonia! "
THE LODGER 69 And presendy Moise came down, carrying some exercise-books which, after muttering " Good morning," he dumped on the other end of the table. He started writing at once, in pencil. He had big, gnarled fingers, and pressed so hard on his pencil that the table quivered as he wrote. Elie hardly knew what he was eating; the thought of the three hundred francs he'd given Valesco was rankling in his mind, and in any case he had no appetite this morning. He almost envied Moise, who, though he lived on a mere pittance, was sure at least of having enough to pay his board and lodging here. Moise never looked up. His podgy hand crawled like a fat, assiduous slug over the paper, his back was hunched, the heat of the fire had brought a glow to his cheeks, and he looked the picture of contentment. Elie fetched the coffee-pot from the range and poured himself out another cup. Then, after lighting a cigarette, he stared gloomily in front of him, conscious of a curious sense of instability. Acting on a sudden impulse, he addressed Moise in Yiddish: " Have you been here long? " he asked. It had struck him that by using Yiddish he would remind the young Jew diat there was a bond between them, and make him more favourably disposed. But, without ceasing to write, Moise replied in French: "A year." " Don't you speak Yiddish? " " I speak French too—and I'm here to improve my French." At last he had raised his head, and his expression conveyed annoyance at being disturbed at his work. In fact, he looked so hostile that Elie retreated to his bedroom, and fell once more to contemplating the wintry scene in black and white outside: coalgrimed houses, pavements sparkling with rime* The footsteps he could hear in the room immediately above must be Antoinette's, as her mother had gone up to the attics. After listening for a while he went back to the kitchen and picked up a magazine that was lying on the dresser. Moise had not stirred when he came in, and remained bent over his work. " Don't you smoke? " " No." " Don't you like smoking—or is it to economize? " No answer. Elie fluttered the pages of the magazine, glancing at the illustrations. He had got into the way of drinking coffee at all
- 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
- Page 73 and 74: THE LODGER The only sound in the ro
- Page 75: THE LODGER 63 " That's better! I've
- Page 78 and 79: 66 MAINLY MAIGRET front of him. And
- Page 82 and 83: 70 MAINLY MAIGRET hours, helping hi
- Page 84 and 85: 72 MAINLY MAIGRET and never notice
- Page 86 and 87: 74 MAINLY MAIGRET dress, was at his
- Page 88 and 89: 76 MAINLY MAIGRET But she let it go
- Page 90 and 91: 78 MAINLY MAIGRET " Yes? What did y
- Page 92 and 93: So MAINLY MAIGRET wasn't a Sunday
- Page 94 and 95: 82 MAINLY MAIGRET "Answer'me!" His
- Page 96 and 97: 84 MAINLY MAIGRET spread out, his f
- Page 98 and 99: 86 MAINLY MAIGRET air; a hateful pi
- Page 100 and 101: S3 MAINLY MAIGRET Sylvie—to let h
- Page 102 and 103: 90 MAINLY MAIGRET " Monsieur Valesc
- Page 104 and 105: 92 MAINLY MAIGRET that practically
- Page 106 and 107: 94 MAINLY MAIGRET in the bedroom, h
- Page 108 and 109: 9* MAINLY MAIGRET ing? They were ta
- Page 110 and 111: 98 MAINLY MAIGRET " The police auth
- Page 112 and 113: 100 MAINLY MAIGRET the festive aspe
- Page 114 and 115: 102 MAINLY MAIGRET She looked round
- Page 116 and 117: 104 MAINLY MAIGRET "The best to Bel
- Page 118 and 119: io6 MAINLY MAIGRET " Yes—what abo
- Page 120 and 121: io8 MAINLY MAIGRET one of them woul
- Page 122 and 123: no MAINLY MAIGRET Suddenly she gave
- Page 124 and 125: 112 MAINLY MAIGRET me away. For mon
- Page 126 and 127: 114 MAINLY MAIGRET Obediently, Anto
- Page 128 and 129: 116 MAINLY MAIGRET They could see M
68 MAINJLY MAIGRET<br />
thousand-franc notes had been burnt, except the one he had given<br />
to Madame Baron. And that, too, was to all intents and purposes<br />
as worthless as if it had been destroyed. Antoinette was already<br />
aware of this. Quite possibly Madame Baron, too, would get to<br />
know it. And a month's board and lodging cost eight hundred<br />
francs!<br />
He hadn't given a thought to this before, and now he was appalled<br />
at his predicament. Supposing, for instance, he had to leave at a<br />
moment's notice. . ..<br />
But no, he wouldn't go away. Really this was an ideal refuge.<br />
" They " would never dream of coming to look for him in a humble,<br />
out-of-the-way lodging-house.<br />
Still, he foresaw trouble ahead. One of these days Madame Baron<br />
would be asking him for money, and what would happen then?<br />
Just now she made more fuss of him than of the others—simply<br />
because he paid most. He took full board, and was the only one to<br />
have meat and vegetables at his evening meal; the only one, too,<br />
who had a fire in his room all day.. ..<br />
She had come back to the house. The vegetable-seller had moved<br />
a little farther up the street. An almost empty tram went by. And<br />
Elie was still considering with dismay the prospect of being turned<br />
out of the house for lack of money. It would be nothing short of a<br />
disaster! He was sorry now that he had lent those three hundred<br />
francs to Valesco. But how could he have got out of it? In his<br />
present position wasn't it up to him to make himself agreeable to<br />
everybody?<br />
" Monsieur Elie! "<br />
Madame Baron was calling him from the kitchen. When he<br />
joined her he found her taking a frying-pan off the range.<br />
" I'd better give you your breakfast before I go up and do the<br />
rooms. How are you feeling today? "<br />
When Baron was out Elie always used the wickerwork armchair,<br />
which gave a shrill, protesting squeak whenever he sat down in it.<br />
The kitchen smelt of eggs and bacon. Only Elie's corner of the table<br />
was laid.<br />
" Anything else you'd like? I must go upstairs at once, as I've<br />
my ironing this afternoon."<br />
A minute later he heard her talking to Moise, and caught a word<br />
or two.<br />
"... better in the kitchen ,.. I've no patience with you ...<br />
overcoat... your death of pneumonia! "
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