OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
72 MAINLY MAIGRET and never notice nothing, even if the meat's burning to a cinder. Of course he's that wrapped up in his studies he don't notice things like we do. ..." Elie accepted the compliment with a modest smile, and sat down again. " You must find it dull here, Monsieur Elie." " Not in the least, I assure you." " Still, it's very different from what you're used to, isn't it? From what you told me, you had such a gay life at home. Really I can't understand why you don't go out a bit. When I look at you and Antoinette I sometimes think that she's the boy and you're the girl—if you see what I mean." He was quite prepared, if she asked him, to do anything: to peel potatoes, even to scour the saucepans. Only one thing mattered: to be allowed to stay here, in this snug little kitchen with the whiteenamelled walls, whose atmosphere and odours were already more familiar to him than those of his far-away home. " Antoinette! " Madame Baron shouted. " Don't forget to bring the scuttles down with you." Elie hadn't seen Antoinette so far that morning, and there was more than curiosity in his eyes when she appeared in the doorway. But she deliberately ignored him, and, carrying the scuttles, walked straight across the room towards the scullery. Her mother scowled at her. " Well, can't you wish Monsieur Elie ' Good morning'? " " Good morning." " Want to be smacked, do you? " " Oh, please don't scold her! " Elie protested. " I can't abide manners like that. Especially as you're always so nice and polite to her." Antoinette gave Elie a long stare with her red-flecked eyes; a stare that seemed to say: " I'll pay you out for that, my man! " And Elie quailed before her, and shrank back still farther into the armchair, which for some moments had been giving him a queer impression of penning him in, like a wickerwork cage.... • The mural decoration of the Merryland was nothing if not modern. The artist had begun by painting a series of wavy blue lines to suggest the sea. Between these were inserted shoals of pink,
THE LODGER 73 gold, and vividly green fishes, hovering in the same translucent medium as a fishing-boat and a larger craft resembling a Noah's Ark. In the foreground was a broad band of yellow, presumably a beach, on which reclined a bevy of bathing beauties in skilfully seductive poses. The general effect was colourful, if crude, and, the room being comparatively small, only a few people were needed to create an atmosphere of gaiety. The lights changed colour frequently, which added to the illusion of an escape from drab reality. The night was young, and so far hardly anybody had arrived. The band was playing only for the second time, and the professional dancers were turning up, singly or in pairs, shouting greetings to each other and, as they passed the bar, shaking the barman's hand. After that they gathered round a corner table, in front of empty champagne glasses, and waited. ... In a recess behind a pillar Sylvie was sitting beside the young man with the flowing tie; he had been coming regularly for the last three evenings. " I can see you're worried about something," he said. " I do wish you'd tell me what it is. Or are you feeling ill? " She gazed at him with unseeing eyes and answered absentmindedly: " I'm quite all right, dear." He squeezed her hand, which he was holding under the table, and said beseechingly: " Do please confide in me. You know there's nothing in the world I wouldn't do for you." Smiling, she stroked his hair, which he wore romantically long, but all the time she was watching the door and her thoughts were elsewhere. When Jacqueline appeared, in a moleskin coat, she rose with ill-concealed eagerness, saying to the young man : " You'll excuse me for a moment, won't you? I've something to say to the girl who's just come in." The cloakroom attendant helped Jacqueline out of her coat; after which Sylvie led her to the bar. " Well? " " So far all's gone well. But, as I was coming in, I thought I saw a fellow snooping round the entrance. I asked Joseph if he'd noticed him, and he said * Yes '; the man had been standing there for an hour or so." The cabaret was still almost empty. The manager, in evening-
- 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 80 and 81: 68 MAINJLY MAIGRET thousand-franc n
- Page 82 and 83: 70 MAINLY MAIGRET hours, helping hi
- 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
- Page 130 and 131: n8 MAINLY MAIGRET " Move on! Didn't
- Page 132 and 133: 120 MAINLY MAIGRET tosh. He took no
72 MAINLY MAIGRET<br />
and never notice nothing, even if the meat's burning to a cinder.<br />
Of course he's that wrapped up in his studies he don't notice things<br />
like we do. ..."<br />
Elie accepted the compliment with a modest smile, and sat down<br />
again.<br />
" You must find it dull here, Monsieur Elie."<br />
" Not in the least, I assure you."<br />
" Still, it's very different from what you're used to, isn't it?<br />
From what you told me, you had such a gay life at home. Really<br />
I can't understand why you don't go out a bit. When I look at you<br />
and Antoinette I sometimes think that she's the boy and you're<br />
the girl—if you see what I mean."<br />
He was quite prepared, if she asked him, to do anything: to peel<br />
potatoes, even to scour the saucepans. Only one thing mattered:<br />
to be allowed to stay here, in this snug little kitchen with the whiteenamelled<br />
walls, whose atmosphere and odours were already more<br />
familiar to him than those of his far-away home.<br />
" Antoinette! " Madame Baron shouted. " Don't forget to bring<br />
the scuttles down with you."<br />
Elie hadn't seen Antoinette so far that morning, and there was<br />
more than curiosity in his eyes when she appeared in the doorway.<br />
But she deliberately ignored him, and, carrying the scuttles, walked<br />
straight across the room towards the scullery. Her mother scowled<br />
at her.<br />
" Well, can't you wish Monsieur Elie ' Good morning'? "<br />
" Good morning."<br />
" Want to be smacked, do you? "<br />
" Oh, please don't scold her! " Elie protested.<br />
" I can't abide manners like that. Especially as you're always so<br />
nice and polite to her."<br />
Antoinette gave Elie a long stare with her red-flecked eyes; a<br />
stare that seemed to say: " I'll pay you out for that, my man! "<br />
And Elie quailed before her, and shrank back still farther into<br />
the armchair, which for some moments had been giving him a<br />
queer impression of penning him in, like a wickerwork cage....<br />
•<br />
The mural decoration of the Merryland was nothing if not<br />
modern. The artist had begun by painting a series of wavy blue<br />
lines to suggest the sea. Between these were inserted shoals of pink,
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