OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University OU_214051 UNIVERSA - Osmania University
82 MAINLY MAIGRET "Answer'me!" His face was grey, unwashed, unshaven, and sweat was pouring down it. His pyjamas were soiled and crumpled. The sight of his abject fear made her feel sick. " Don't! " She shrank away. " Antoinette! Look into my eyes." She could feel his hot breath fanning her cheeks, and it was all she could do to keep from screaming. " Look at me! I insist. Don't forget I have a sister too. Suppose you had a brother and ... and he was in my position." Suddenly, to her consternation, he fell on his knees before her, clasped her hands in his. " Don't say such cruel things. Please, please don't tell me to go. Once I leave this house I'm finished, and you know it. It will be all your fault. I . . . I don't want to die." " Get up." " Not before you've promised...." She drew back two steps, but he shuffled after her, on his knees. " Antoinette! Promise me you won't do that. You remember what they said in the paper, don't you? In France ..." " Oh, for heaven's sake shut up! " she almost screamed. As she spoke her body suddenly grew rigid, her heart gave a lurch. A head had just passed the window, halting a moment on the way. It was Madame Baron returning from her marketing, and unthinkingly she had glanced into the room. A latch-key grated in the door; she heard it open. Then came a soft thud as Madame Baron deposited her market-bag on the hall floor. "Get up!" It was too late. Already Madame Baron's plump black-clad form was looming in the doorway. She had a hat on, and this made her look more stern and dignified than was her wont. She gazed first at her daughter, then at the young man ii* pyjamas rising awkwardly to his feet. " Go up to your room," she said to Antoinette, after a moment's hesitation. " And look sharp about it. I'll talk to you later." She was holding herself in. No sooner was her daughter out of the room than she shut the door with a bang and rounded on Elie. " Well, you dirty swine, ain't you ashamed of yourself—making up to a little girl half your age? What you deserve is a good hiding, and I've a very good mind ..."
THE LODGER 83 She actually raised her fist, and he shrank away, shielding his head with his arm. But then her eyes fell on his face and she noticed that his cheeks were deathly pale, glistening with tears and sweat. And suddenly, to her amazement, he started trembling violently, breathing with a sort of rattle, his teeth chattering convulsively. Mistrustfully she watched him back into a corner of the room and start pounding the wall with his clenched fists. " What on earth's come over you, man? " The harsh, vulgar voice was like a summons back to reality, but it took no effect on Elie. He went on beating the wall, and she seemed to hear him whimper: "Mother! Oh, Mother... !" All his manhood had left him. In the loosely-fitting pyjamas he looked like an emaciated, half-starved child in the grip of panic terror. " Going balmy, are you? " As she spoke she noticed the letter lying on the floor, and recognized Sylvie's writing. She read the letter, though there was no need to do so; suddenly the truth—of which till now she had not had the faintest inkling— had dawned on her. As she looked up from the letter Elie swung round and faced her, still trembling with emotion, his hands pressed to the wall behind him as if bracing himself to spring forward. " So that's it," Madame Baron said, letting the letter slip from her fingers. Then her legs seemed to give way and she leaned heavily on the table. "Well, I never! What a fool I've been! I never suspected a thing. Of course, I must say, you went about it cleverly." She had a feeling that he was going to clasp her hands, perhaps go on his knees to her as well, and start imploring her.. .. Gruffly she said: " None of that nonsense! It won't work with me. Get dressed and clear out—at once! Got it? If I find you here in a quarter of an hour's time I'll have the police in." She began to move towards the door, but stopped abruptly, halted by the most appalling sound that had ever reached her ears —one of those long-drawn screams that are only heard in moments of supreme catastrophe, when voices lose all semblance of humanity and sound like the squeals of dying animals. Elie had staggered to the bed and flung himself across it, his arras D
- 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 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 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
- Page 134 and 135: 122 MAINLY MAIGRET grey stone so mu
- Page 136 and 137: 124 MAINLY MAIGRET forward and fell
- Page 138 and 139: 126 MAINLY MAIGRET The camera-men g
- Page 141 and 142: A CRIME IN HOLLAND Translated from
- Page 143 and 144: A CRIME IN HOLLAND 129 mathematics
82 MAINLY MAIGRET<br />
"Answer'me!"<br />
His face was grey, unwashed, unshaven, and sweat was pouring<br />
down it. His pyjamas were soiled and crumpled. The sight of his<br />
abject fear made her feel sick.<br />
" Don't! " She shrank away.<br />
" Antoinette! Look into my eyes."<br />
She could feel his hot breath fanning her cheeks, and it was all<br />
she could do to keep from screaming.<br />
" Look at me! I insist. Don't forget I have a sister too. Suppose<br />
you had a brother and ... and he was in my position."<br />
Suddenly, to her consternation, he fell on his knees before her,<br />
clasped her hands in his.<br />
" Don't say such cruel things. Please, please don't tell me to go.<br />
Once I leave this house I'm finished, and you know it. It will be<br />
all your fault. I . . . I don't want to die."<br />
" Get up."<br />
" Not before you've promised...."<br />
She drew back two steps, but he shuffled after her, on his knees.<br />
" Antoinette! Promise me you won't do that. You remember<br />
what they said in the paper, don't you? In France ..."<br />
" Oh, for heaven's sake shut up! " she almost screamed.<br />
As she spoke her body suddenly grew rigid, her heart gave a<br />
lurch. A head had just passed the window, halting a moment on the<br />
way. It was Madame Baron returning from her marketing, and<br />
unthinkingly she had glanced into the room.<br />
A latch-key grated in the door; she heard it open. Then came<br />
a soft thud as Madame Baron deposited her market-bag on the hall<br />
floor.<br />
"Get up!"<br />
It was too late. Already Madame Baron's plump black-clad form<br />
was looming in the doorway. She had a hat on, and this made her<br />
look more stern and dignified than was her wont. She gazed first<br />
at her daughter, then at the young man ii* pyjamas rising awkwardly<br />
to his feet.<br />
" Go up to your room," she said to Antoinette, after a moment's<br />
hesitation. " And look sharp about it. I'll talk to you later."<br />
She was holding herself in. No sooner was her daughter out of<br />
the room than she shut the door with a bang and rounded on Elie.<br />
" Well, you dirty swine, ain't you ashamed of yourself—making<br />
up to a little girl half your age? What you deserve is a good hiding,<br />
and I've a very good mind ..."
Change language