heavy sleep, he saw that the lamps were burning. Even if he had not been disturbed, he would not have slept for much longer, since for him there was no more rest to be had. He heard a light knocking at the door. "Let's go in," said someone in the hall way. The door opened violently, and in a single movement, three men tried to work their way in while fighting over space. Thomas saw them strike 24
each other, half seriously and half in jest, without being able to under stand if they were in a hurry to enter or if they were afraid of crossing the threshold. Finally they came to an agreement and slid into the room arm in arm. "So you're the ones who were supposed to come," said Thomas, after taking a look at them. They resembled each other very closely, though they had done every thing they could to distinguish themselves. They all wore a number in the buttonholes of their jackets, and as if that were not enough, there was on each of their sleeves a thin white band with several words written on it. Thomas would have liked to decipher the inscription, but they never ceased to move around in a display of feverish activity. Hardly were they over the threshold when they let out a great cry, at once sharp and deep, and threw themselves on his companion, who was just then beginning to throw the covers off. "Alright now, hands off!" they shouted. A harsh punishment was to be expected, but as soon as they saw how the young man looked, they burst into hearty laughter and began to gesticu late hilariously, pointing out to each other his face still puffy with sleep. Thomas did hot take the scene lightly. The physiognomy of the three new comers did not seem to him to be commensurate with these comic games. Their miniscule and piercing eyes turned on everything with an air of confrontation, and the insistence of their gaze, no matter what it fastened on, gave rise to suspicion, then to error. But neither was it a relief to es cape from this gaze. Thomas could not long tolerate remaining aloof. He silently watched the three men who were dressed as maitres d'h6tel, and seeing that they were not concerned with him, he reminded them that he was there: ''I'm the new tenant," he declared. "Are you part of the staff?" He had spoken very loudly, and when they heard him, they took a sud den step back. They exchanged looks and seemed not to know what to do, but it was an indecision that might just as well have been related to the meaning of the words spoken as to the response they were about to give. "The house?" they said in concert. "These may be people from the basement," thought Thomas. All three of them reflected for a few moments, their eyes half closed as if they were waiting for words that would be particularly difficult to understand. But then, after their interlocutor had said nothing more, they seemed to for25
get his presence altogether, imperceptibly taking on again, although with a little more restraint, their insouciant and jovial demeanor. Thomas jumped to the bottom edge of the bed. Because of his compan ion, he was forced to bend down a little, but he tried nevertheless to stare fixedly at the three who had filed in one behind the other with the puerile, and no doubt ironic, desire to avoid exposing themselves to the view of the stranger. So it was the first one he saw almost the whole time, although the two others, slipping out of the line, showed themselves occasionally in a brief flash. He would have liked to consider them one at a time in order to see who they were. The one he could see wore an elegant but oversized jacket, and he slid his hands into its folds to show its defects. The other two seemed to be dressed in a much coarser material. Thomas stretched out his hand to grab one of the armchairs. He was immediately surrounded by the three maitres d'h6tel, who jostled one another as they seized the chair and placed it at his disposal and then grabbed his companion, whom they pushed along with kicks and blows. Thomas found
each other, half seriously and half in jest, without being able to under stand if they were in a hurry to enter or if they were afraid of crossing the threshold. Finally they came to an agreement and slid into the room arm in arm. "So you're the ones who were supposed to come," said Thomas, after taking a look at them. They resembled each other very closely, though they had done every thing they could to distinguish themselves. They all wore a number in the buttonholes of their jackets, and as if that were not enough, there was on each of their sleeves a thin white band with several words written on it. Thomas would have liked to decipher the inscription, but they never ceased to move around in a display of feverish activity. Hardly were they over the threshold when they let out a great cry, at once sharp and deep, and threw themselves on his companion, who was just then beginning to throw the covers off. "Alright now, hands off!" they shouted. A harsh punishment was to be expected, but as soon as they saw how the young man looked, they burst into hearty laughter and began to gesticu late hilariously, pointing out to each other his face still puffy with sleep. Thomas did hot take the scene lightly. The physiognomy of the three new comers did not seem to him to be commensurate with these comic games. Their miniscule and piercing eyes turned on everything with an air of confrontation, and the insistence of their gaze, no matter what it fastened on, gave rise to suspicion, then to error. But neither was it a relief to es cape from this gaze. Thomas could not long tolerate remaining aloof. He silently watched the three men who were dressed as maitres d'h6tel, and seeing that they were not concerned with him, he reminded them that he was there: ''I'm the new tenant," he declared. "Are you part of the staff?" He had spoken very loudly, and when they heard him, they took a sud den step back. They exchanged looks and seemed not to know what to do, but it was an indecision that might just as well have been related to the meaning of the words spoken as to the response they were about to give. "The house?" they said in concert. "These may be people from the basement," thought Thomas. All three of them reflected for a few moments, their eyes half closed as if they were waiting for words that would be particularly difficult to understand. But then, after their interlocutor had said nothing more, they seemed to for25
get his presence altogether, imperceptibly taking on again, although with a little more restraint, their insouciant and jovial demeanor. Thomas jumped to the bottom edge of the bed. Because of his compan ion, he was forced to bend down a little, but he tried nevertheless to stare fixedly at the three who had filed in one behind the other with the puerile, and no doubt ironic, desire to avoid exposing themselves to the view of the stranger. So it was the first one he saw almost the whole time, although the two others, slipping out of the line, showed themselves occasionally in a brief flash. He would have liked to consider them one at a time in order to see who they were. The one he could see wore an elegant but oversized jacket, and he slid his hands into its folds to show its defects. The other two seemed to be dressed in a much coarser material. Thomas stretched out his hand to grab one of the armchairs. He was immediately surrounded by the three maitres d'h6tel, who jostled one another as they seized the chair and placed it at his disposal and then grabbed his companion, whom they pushed along with kicks and blows. Thomas found
Similar Books
