Chapter 3
Meursault arrives at his office and works on a pile of freight invoices. His boss, after asking if Meursedd is tired, inquires about “Maman’s” age; Meursedd replies “about sixty,” which seems to satisfy the boss. Before lunch he washes his hands, a habit he prefers at midday. He leaves the office at half past twelve with Emmanuel, a dispatcher, and they watch freighters in the sun‑lit harbor. A noisy truck speeds past; Emmanuel urges Meursedd to chase it. They run after the truck through dust, cranes, and ship hulls, finally reaching Celeste’s restaurant, where Celeste greets them. Meursedd eats quickly, drinks coffee, then goes home and sleeps after drinking wine, later smoking a cigarette and catching a streetcar.
On his way upstairs in the dark, Meursedd meets his neighbour old Salamano, accompanied by his mangy spaniel, which has been suffering from mange for eight years. He observes the pair’s routine abuse: Salamano repeatedly beats the dog, yanks it, and curses it, while the dog alternately drags and is dragged by its master. Meursedd greets Salamano, who replies only with “Filthy, stinking bastard!” and mutters “He’s always there” before leaving.
Soon after, Meursedd is approached by another neighbour, Raymond Sintés, a short, broad‑shouldered former warehouse guard who seldom socialises. Raymond invites Meursedd to his single‑room flat for blood sausage and wine. In the dim room, lit by a paraffin lamp, Raymond wraps a makeshift bandage around his right hand and recounts a recent street‑car fight in which he beat a man who insulted him. He then tells a lengthy story about a mistress who he believes has been cheating on him, describing how she pawned jewelry and spent lottery money, how he repeatedly beat her, and his desire for revenge. Raymond asks Meursedd for advice; Meursedd remains neutral, saying he finds the story interesting.
Raymond then asks Meursedd to write a punitive letter to his mistress. Meursedd complies, drafting a letter with the supplied pen and ink, reads it aloud, and rewrites it at Raymond’s request. Satisfied, Raymond calls Meursedd “a pal.” After finishing the wine, they smoke in silence. Raymond mentions he has heard about Meursedd’s mother’s death, calling it inevitable. He gives Meursedd a firm handshake, declares that men understand each other, and bids him goodbye. Meursedd leaves, closing the door, pauses in the dark landing, hears the quiet house and the dog’s soft whimper in Salamano’s room, and stands motionless.