She Who Was No More Read Free Page B

of her head.’
    He slipped the letter into his pocket, trying to make the action seem absent-minded. He looked at the clock.
    ‘It’s a bit late now to get hold of her. And in any case she’ll be at the hospital as it’s Wednesday. It’s a pity. We’d get this business cleared up at once. But she’ll have to answer for it, believe me.’
    He stopped abruptly and opened his arms in a gesture of incomprehension.
    ‘Someone who calls herself a friend… Someone whom we’ve looked upon almost as one of the family… To do a thing like that!’
    He poured himself out a glass of wine and drank it at a gulp.
    ‘Would you like something to eat? You mustn’t let it put you off your food.’
    ‘No, thanks.’
    ‘Some wine, then?’
    ‘No. Just a glass of water.’
    ‘If you’d rather.’
    He took the carafe with a firm hand, filled up a tumbler, and stood it by her.
    ‘Unless someone’s copied her handwriting…’
    ‘Go on! I wouldn’t be taken in for a moment. And look at the notepaper. And the postmark. Nantes. Posted yesterday. I got it at four o’clock this afternoon. You can imagine what a blow it was.’
    She wiped her cheeks. She stretched her hand out towards the glass.
    ‘I didn’t hesitate a second, but made straight for the station.’
    ‘That’s you all over.’
    Gently Ravinel stroked her hair.
    ‘Perhaps the truth is that Lucienne’s jealous,’ he murmured. ‘She can see we’re very united. There are people like that—can’t bear to see others happy… We may have known her a long time, but have we any idea what really goes on inside her?… Though I must say she looked after you wonderfully three years ago. There was nothing she wouldn’t do. In fact, she really saved your life. You know, things looked pretty black at one moment. Still, that’s her job admittedly. And of course you might have pulled through anyhow. People don’t often die of typhoid these days…’
    ‘Yes, but she was so kind. Thought of everything. And the way she had me taken all the way to Paris in an ambulance.’
    ‘All the same, she might have been thinking even then of making mischief between us… For now I come to think of it, I suppose she did take a fancy to me. Sometimes I was surprised we met so often, but it never really struck me—not in that light… Do you think she can have fallen in love with me?’
    For the first time Mireille’s face lit up.
    ‘What?’ she exclaimed. ‘An old duffer like you?’
    She drank the water slowly and put the empty glass back on the table. Then, seeing Fernand had turned pale, she took his hand and added:
    ‘Don’t be cross. I was only teasing. It’s my turn to take it out on somebody!’

TWO
    ‘You didn’t tell your brother about it, I hope.’
    ‘Of course not. I hadn’t time. Besides I’d have been too ashamed.’
    ‘So nobody knows you’ve come here?’
    ‘Nobody. It’s nobody’s business but mine.’
    Ravinel lifted the carafe.
    ‘A little more.’
    In a leisurely way he filled the glass again and began gathering up his papers. Maison Blache et Lehuédé . For a moment he was pensive.
    ‘I can’t see any other explanation,’ he said at last. ‘Lucienne wants to come between us. Look back. It’s just a year since she had that temporary job in Paris. Why shouldn’t she have lived in the hospital? Or in a hotel? No, she had to come and live with us.’
    ‘We were bound to invite her. After all she’d done for me…’
    ‘I know. I don’t deny it. But that doesn’t alter the fact that she fastened on us like a leech. And if she’d stayed much longer she’d have been ruling the roost. You were beginning to obey her like a servant.’
    ‘You can talk! I suppose she never sent you running errands!’
    ‘I wasn’t the one to cook special dishes for her.’
    ‘But you typed out her letters all right.’
    ‘A strange girl,’ said Ravinel. ‘Whatever could she hope for in sending you that letter. She must have guessed you’d come here