The Beast Within - Emile Zola [66]
At precisely the same moment as Roubaud walked into the corridor, Madame Lebleu opened her door to Philomène, who had just called on her neighbour, with her hair all over the place, bringing her two eggs. The two women remained standing at the doorway, and Roubaud had to enter his room watched intently by both of them. He had his key ready and was very quick. Even so, in the instant that the door opened and closed, they saw Séverine sitting on a chair in the dining room, her hands resting on the table, her face as white as a sheet, motionless. Madame Lebleu pulled Philomène into her room and shut the door. She told her that she had seen Séverine looking exactly the same earlier that morning. They must be in trouble over that business with the Sub-Prefect. No, it had been sorted out, Philomène said. She had called round to bring her the news. Philomène then told Madame Lebleu what she had just heard Roubaud saying himself. They both launched into endless speculations on what might have happened. Every time they met, it was the same — a never-ending stream of idle gossip.
‘They’ve been given a telling off, you mark my words, my dear. They’re in deep trouble, you see if I’m not right!’
‘Let’s hope we’ll soon see the back of them, then...’
The increasingly venomous rivalry between the Lebleus and the Roubauds sprang from a simple question of accommodation. The first floor of the station building above the waiting rooms was used as lodgings for the staff. The floor was divided into two by a central corridor, like the corridor in a hotel, painted cream, with lights in the ceiling, and brown doors facing each other on either side. The apartments on the right of the corridor had windows looking out over the station forecourt, which was surrounded by old elm trees, with a wonderful view of the Ingouville hills in the distance. The apartments on the left of the corridor had low, arched windows looking directly on to the station roof, which rose steeply in front of them, blotting out the horizon with its zinc cladding and panes of dirty glass. The apartments on the right were a delight to live in, looking out on to the constant bustle of the station yard, the green trees and the open countryside beyond. The apartments on the left were a misery, with scarcely enough light to see by and the sky hemmed in as if by prison walls. At the front lived the stationmaster, the other assistant stationmaster, Moulin, and the Lebleus. At the rear lived the Roubauds and Mademoiselle Guichon, the office secretary. There were also three rooms which were kept empty for visiting inspectors. It had always been Company policy to provide the two assistant stationmasters with apartments next door to each other. How the Lebleus came to occupy an apartment at the front was due to an act of generosity on the part of a previous assistant stationmaster, Roubaud’s predecessor. He was a widower with no children and thought it would be a nice gesture to offer his apartment to Madame Lebleu. But the Roubauds felt that the apartment should have reverted to them. It wasn’t right that they should be forced to live at the rear when they were entitled to live at the front. As long as the two families had managed to avoid arguments, Séverine had remained polite