the lodger-第39部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　won't。　　I've　seen　enough　of　that　young　chap　to…day。〃

〃He　didn't　come　in　for　long　…　not　to…day；〃　said　Daisy；　her　lip　trembling。

〃I　can　tell　you　one　thing　that'll　surprise　you；　my　dear〃　…　Mrs。　Bunting　looked　significantly　at　her　step…daughter。　　She　also　wanted　to　get　away　from　that　dread　news　…　which　yet　was　no　news。

〃Yes？〃　said　Daisy；　rather　defiantly。　　〃What　is　it；　Ellen？〃

〃Maybe　you'll　be　surprised　to　hear　that　Joe　did　come　in　this　morning。　He　knew　all　about　that　affair　then；　but　he　particular　asked　that　you　shouldn't　be　told　anything　about　it。〃

〃Never！〃　cried　Daisy；　much　mortified。

〃Yes；〃　went　on　her　stepmother　ruthlessly。　　〃You　just　ask　your　father　over　there　if　it　isn't　true。〃

〃'Tain't　a　healthy　thing　to　speak　overmuch　about　such　happenings；〃　said　Bunting　heavily。

〃If　I　was　Joe；〃　went　on　Mrs。　Bunting；　quickly　pursuing　her　advantage；　〃I　shouldn't　want　to　talk　about　such　horrid　things　when　I　comes　in　to　have　a　quiet　chat　with　friends。　　But　the　minute　he　comes　in　that　poor　young　chap　is　set　upon　…　mostly；　I　admit；　by　your　father；〃　she　looked　at　her　husband　severely。　　〃But　you　does　your　share；　too；　Daisy！　　You　asks　him　this；　you　asks　him　that　…　he's　fair　puzzled　sometimes。　　It　don't　do　to　be　so　inquisitive。〃

******

And　perhaps　because　of　this　little　sermon　on　Mrs。　Bunting's　part　when　young　Chandler　did　come　in　again　that　evening；　very　little　was　said　of　the　new　Avenger　murder。

Bunting　made　no　reference　to　it　at　all；　and　though　Daisy　said　a　word；　it　was　but　a　word。　　And　Joe　Chandler　thought　he　had　never　spent　a　pleasanter　evening　in　his　life　…　for　it　was　he　and　Daisy　who　talked　all　the　time；　their　elders　remaining　for　the　most　part　silent。

Daisy　told　of　all　that　she　had　done　with　Aunt　Margaret。　　She　described　the　long；　dull　hours　and　the　queer　jobs　her　aunt　set　her　to　do　…　the　washing　up　of　all　the　fine　drawing…room　china　in　a　big　basin　lined　with　flannel；　and　how　terrified　she　（Daisy）　had　been　lest　there　should　come　even　one　teeny　little　chip　to　any　of　it。　Then　she　went　on　to　relate　some　of　the　funny　things　Aunt　Margaret　had　told　her　about　〃the　family。〃

There　came　a　really　comic　tale；　which　hugely　interested　and　delighted　Chandler。　　This　was　of　how　Aunt　Margaret's　lady　had　been　taken　in　by　an　impostor　…　an　impostor　who　had　come　up；　just　as　she　was　stepping　out　of　her　carriage；　and　pretended　to　have　a　fit　on　the　doorstep。　Aunt　Margaret's　lady；　being　a　soft　one；　had　insisted　on　the　man　coming　into　the　hall；　where　he　had　been　given　all　kinds　of　restoratives。　　When　the　man　had　at　last　gone　off；　it　was　found　that　he　had　〃wolfed〃　young　master's　best　walking…stick；　one　with　a　fine　tortoise…shell　top　to　it。　　Thus　had　Aunt　Margaret　proved　to　her　lady　that　the　man　had　been　shamming；　and　her　lady　had　been　very　angry　…　　near　had　a　fit　herself！

〃There's　a　lot　of　that　about；〃　said　Chandler；　laughing。　〃Incorrigible　rogues　and　vagabonds　…　that's　what　those　sort　of　people　are！〃

And　then　he；　in　his　turn；　told　an　elaborate　tale　of　an　exceptionally　clever　swindler　whom　he　himself　had　brought　to　book。　　He　was　very　proud　of　that　job；　it　had　formed　a　white　stone　in　his　career　as　a　detective。　　And　even　Mrs。　Bunting　was　quite　interested　to　hear　about　it。

Chandler　was　still　sitting　there　when　Mr。　Sleuth's　bell　rang。　　For　awhile　no　one　stirred；　then　Bunting　looked　questioningly　at　his　wife。

〃Did　you　hear　that？〃　he　said。　　〃I　think；　Ellen；　that　was　the　lodger's　bell。〃

She　got　up；　without　alacrity；　and　went　upstairs。

〃I　rang；〃　said　Mr。　Sleuth　weakly；　〃to　tell　you　I　don't　require　any　supper　to…night；　Mrs。　Bunting。　　Only　a　glass　of　milk；　with　a　lump　of　sugar　in　it。　　That　is　all　I　require　…　nothing　more。　　I　feel　very　very　far　from　well〃　　…　and　he　had　a　hunted；　plaintive　expression　on　his　face。　　〃And　then　I　thought　your　husband　would　like　his　paper　back　again；　Mrs。　Bunting。〃

Mrs。　Bunting；　looking　at　him　fixedly；　with　a　sad　intensity　of　gaze　of　which　she　was　quite　unconscious；　answered；　〃Oh；　no；　sir！　Bunting　don't　require　that　paper　now。　　He　read　it　all　through。〃　Something　impelled　her　to　add；　ruthlessly；　〃He's　got　another　paper　by　now；　sir。　　You　may　have　heard　them　come　shouting　outside。　　Would　you　like　me　to　bring　you　up　that　other　paper；　sir？〃

And　Mr。　Sleuth　shook　his　head。　　〃No；〃　he　said　querulously。　　〃I　much　regret　now　having　asked　for　the　one　paper　I　did　read；　for　it　disturbed　me；　Mrs。　Bunting。　　There　was　nothing　of　any　value　in　it　…　　there　never　is　in　any　public　print。　　I　gave　up　reading　newspapers　years　ago；　and　I　much　regret　that　I　broke　though　my　rule　to…day。〃

As　if　to　indicate　to　her　that　he　did　not　wish　for　any　more　conversation；　the　lodger　then　did　what　he　had　never　done　before　in　his　landlady's　presence。　　He　went　over　to　the　fireplace　and　deliberately　turned　his　back　on　her。

She　went　down　and　brought　up　the　glass　of　milk　and　the　lump　of　sugar　he　had　asked　for。

Now　he　was　in　his　usual　place；　sitting　at　the　table；　studying　the　Book。

When　Mrs。　Bunting　went　back　to　the　others　they　were　chatting　merrily。　　She　did　not　notice　that　the　merriment　was　confined　to　the　two　young　people。

〃Well？〃　said　Daisy　pertly。　　〃How　about　the　lodger；　Ellen？　　Is　he　all　right？〃

〃Yes；〃　she　said　stiffly。　　〃Of　course　he　is！〃

〃'He　must　feel　pretty　dull　sitting　up　there　all　by　himself　…　awful　lonely…like；　I　call　it；〃　said　the　girl。

But　her；　stepmother　remained　silent。

〃Whatever　does　he　do　with　himself　all　day？〃　persisted　Daisy。

〃Just　now　he's　reading　the　Bible；〃　Mrs。　Bunting　answered；　shortly　and　dryly。

〃Well；　I　never！　　That's　a　funny　thing　for　a　gentleman　to　do！〃

And　Joe；　alone　of　her　three　listeners；　laughed　…　a　long　hearty　peal　of　amusement。

〃There's　nothing　to　laugh　at；〃　said　Mrs。　Bunting　sharply。　　〃I　should　feel　ashamed　of　being　caught　laughing　at　anything　connected　with　the　Bible。〃

And　poor　Joe　became　suddenly　quite　serious。　　This　was　the　first　time　that　Mrs。　Bunting　had　ever　spoken　really　nastily　to　him；　and　he　answered　very　humbly；　〃I　beg　pardon。　　I　know　I　oughtn't　to　have　laughed　at　anything　to　do　with　the　Bible；　but　you　see；　Miss　Daisy　said　it　so　funny…like；　and；　by　all　accounts；　your　lodger　must　be　a　queer　card；　Mrs。　Bunting。〃

〃He's　no　queerer　than　many　people　I　could　mention；〃　she　said　quickly；　and　with　these　enigmatic　words　she　got　up；　and　left　the　room。


CHAPTER　XXIV

Each　hour　of　the　days　that　followed　held　for　Bunting　its　full　meed　of　aching　fear　and　suspense。

The　unhappy　man　was　ever　debating　within　himself　what　course　he　should　pursue；　and；　according　to　his　mood　and　to　the　state　of　his　mind　at　any　particular　moment；　he　would　waver　between　various　widely…differing　lines　of　action。

He　told　himself　again　and　again；　and　with　fretful　unease；　that　the　most　awful　thing　about　it　all　was　that　he　wasn't　sure。　　If　only　he　could　have　been　sure；　he　might　have　made　up　his　mind　exactly　what　it　was　he　ought　to　do。

But　when　telling　himself　this　he　was　deceiving　himself；　and　he　was　vaguely　conscious　of　the　fact；　for；　from　Bunting's　point　of　view；　almost　any　alternative　would　have　been　preferable　to　that　which　to　some；　nay；　perhaps　to　most；　householders　would　have　seemed　the　only　thing　to　do；　namely；　to　go　to　the　police。　　But　Londoners　of　Bunting's　class　have　an　uneasy　fear　of　the　law。　　To　his　mind　it　would　be　ruin　for　him　and　for　his　Ellen　to　be　mixed　up　publicly　in　such　a　terrible　affair。　　No　one　concerned　in　the　business　would　give　them　and　their　future　a　thought；　but　it　would　track　them　to　their　dying　day；　and；　above　all；　it　would　make　it　quite　impossible　for　them　ever　to　get　again　into　a　good　joint　situation。　　It　was　that　for　which　Bunting；　in　his　secret　soul；　now　longed　with　all　his　heart。

No；　some　other　way　than　going　to　the　police　must　be　found　…　and　he　racked　his　slow　brain　to　find　it。

The　worst　of　it　was　that　every　hour　that　went　by　made　his　future　course　more　difficult　and　more　delicate；　and　increased　the　awful　weight　on　his　conscience。

If　only　he　really　knew！　　If　only　he　could　feel　quite　sure！　　And　then　he　would　tell　himself　that；　after　all；　he　had　very　little　to　go　upon；　only　suspicion　…　suspicion；　and　a　secret；　horrible　certainty　that　his　suspicion　was　justified。

And　so　at　last　Bunting　began　to　long　for　a　solution　which　he　knew　to　be　indefensible　from　every　point　of　view；　he　began　to　hope；　that　is；　in　the　depths　of　his　heart；　that　the　ledger　would　again　go　out　one　evening　on　his　horrible　business　and　be　caught　…　red…handed。

But　far　from　going　out　on　any　business；　horrible　or　other；　Mr。　Sleuth　now　never　went　out　at　all。　　He　kept　upstairs；　and　often　spent　quite　a　considerable　part　of　his　day　in　bed。　　He　still　felt；　so　he　assured　Mrs。　Bunting；　very　far　from　well。　　He　had　never　thrown　off　the　chill　he　had　caught　on　that　bitter　night　he　and　his　landlord　had　met　on　their　several　ways　home。

Joe　Chandler；　too；　had　become　a　terrible　complication　to　Daisy's　father。　　The　detective　spent　every　waking　hour　that　he　was　not　on　duty　with　the　Buntings；　and　Bunting；　who　at　one　time　had　liked　him　so　well　and　so　cordially；　now　became　mortally　afraid　of　him。

But　though　the　young　man　talked　of　little　else　than　The　Avenger；　and　though　on　one　evening　he　described　at　immense　length　the　eccentric…looking　gent　who　had　given　the　barmaid　a　sovereign；　picturing　Mr。　Sleuth　with　such　awful　accuracy　that　both　Bunting　and　Mrs。　Bunting　secretly　and　separately　turned　sick　when　they　listened　to　him；　he　never　showed　the　slightest　interest　in　their　lodger。

At　last　there　came　a　morning　when　Bunting　and　Chandler　held　a　strange　conversation　about　The　Avenger。　　The　young　fellow　had　come　in　earlier　than　usual；　and　just　as　he　arrived　Mrs。　Bunting　and　Daisy　were　starting　out　to　do　some　shopping。　　The　girl　would　fain　have　stopped　behind；　but　her　stepmother　had　given　her　a　very　peculiar；　disagreeable　look；　daring　her；　so　to　speak；　to　be　so　forward；　and　Daisy　had　gone　on　with　a　flushed；　angry　look　on　her　pretty　face。

And　then；　as　young　Chandler　stepped　through　into　the　sitting…room；　it　suddenly　struck　Bunting　that　the　young　man　looked　unlike　himself　　…　indeed；　to　the　ex…butler's　apprehension　there　was　something　almost　threatening　in　Chandler's　attitude。

〃I　want　a　word　with　you；　Mr。　Bunting；〃　he　began　abruptly；　falteringly。　〃And　I'm　glad　to　have　the　chance　now　that　Mrs。　Bunting