the lodger-第17章

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eeable　privileges　are　attached　to　the　position　of　a　detective　member　of　the　London　Police　Force。

〃Well；　I　suppose　I　could　…　〃　Joe　smiled。　　〃Anyway　I　can　certainly　get　leave　to　take　a　friend　there。〃　　He　looked　meaningly　at　Daisy；　and　Daisy　looked　eagerly　at　him。

But　would　Ellen　ever　let　her　go　out　by　herself　with　Mr。　Chandler？　Ellen　was　so　prim；　so　…　so　irritatingly　proper。　　But　what　was　this　father　was　saying？　　〃D'you　really　mean　that；　Joe？〃

〃Yes；　of　course　I　do！〃

〃Well；　then；　look　here！　　If　it　isn't　asking　too　much　of　a　favour；　I　should　like　to　go　along　there　with　you　very　much　one　day。　　I　don't　want　to　wait　till　The　Avenger's　caught　〃　…　Bunting　smiled　broadly。　〃I'd　be　quite　content　as　it　is　with　what　there　is　in　that　museum　o'　yours。　　Ellen；　there　〃　…　he　looked　across　at　his　wife…〃　don't　agree　with　me　about　such　things。　　Yet　I　don't　think　I'm　a　bloodthirsty　man！　　But　I'm　just　terribly　interested　in　all　that　sort　of　thing　…　always　have　been。　　I　used　to　positively　envy　the　butler　in　that　Balham　Mystery！〃

Again　a　look　passed　between　Daisy　and　the　young　man　…　it　was　a　look　which　contained　and　carried　a　great　many　things　backwards　and　forwards；　such　as　…　　〃Now；　isn't　it　funny　that　your　father　should　want　to　go　to　such　a　place？　　But　still；　I　can't　help　it　if　he　does　want　to　go；　so　we　must　put　up　with　his　company；　though　it　would　have　been　much　nicer　for　us　to　go　just　by　our　two　selves。〃　　And　then　Daisy's　look　answered　quite　as　plainly；　though　perhaps　Joe　didn't　read　her　glance　quite　as　clearly　as　she　had　read　his：　〃Yes；　it　is　tiresome。　　But　father　means　well；　and　'twill　be　very　pleasant　going　there；　even　if　he　does　come　too。〃

〃Well；　what　d'you　say　to　the　day　after　to…morrow；　Mr。　Bunting？　　I'd　call　for　you　here　about　…　shall　we　say　half…past　two？　　…　and　just　take　you　and　Miss　Daisy　down　to　the　Yard。　　'Twouldn't　take　very　long；　we　could　go　all　the　way　by　bus；　right　down　to　Westminster　Bridge。〃　　He　looked　round　at　his　hostess：　〃Wouldn't　you　join　us；　Mrs。　Bunting？　　'Tis　truly　a　wonderful　interesting　place。〃

But　his　hostess　shook　her　head　decidedly。　　〃'Twould　turn　me　sick；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃to　see　the　bottle　of　poison　what　had　done　away　with　the　life　of　some　poor　creature！

〃And　as　for　knives　…　！〃　a　look　of　real　horror；　of　startled　fear；　crept　over　her　pale　face。

〃There；　there！〃　said　Bunting　hastily。　　〃Live　and　let　live　…　that's　what　I　always　say。　　Ellen　ain't　on　in　this　turn。　　She　can　just　stay　at　home　and　mind　the　cat　…　I　beg　his　pardon；　I　mean　the　lodger！〃

〃I　won't　have　Mr。　Sleuth　laughed　at；〃　said　Mrs。　Bunting　darkly。　〃But　there！　　I'm　sure　it's　very　kind　of　you；　Joe；　to　think　of　giving　Bunting　and　Daisy　such　a　rare　treat　〃　…　she　spoke　sarcastically；　but　none　of　the　three　who　heard　her　understood　that。


CHAPTER　IX

The　moment　she　passed　though　the　great　arched　door　which　admits　the　stranger　to　that　portion　of　New　Scotland　Yard　where　throbs　the　heart　of　that　great　organism　which　fights　the　forces　of　civilised　crime；　Daisy　Bunting　felt　that　she　had　indeed　become　free　of　the　Kingdom　of　Romance。　　Even　the　lift　in　which　the　three　of　them　were　whirled　up　to　one　of　the　upper　floors　of　the　huge　building　was　to　the　girl　a　new　and　delightful　experience。　　Daisy　had　always　lived　a　simple；　quiet　life　in　the　little　country　town　where　dwelt　Old　Aunt　and　this　was　the　first　time　a　lift　had　come　her　way。

With　a　touch　of　personal　pride　in　the　vast　building；　Joe　Chandler　marched　his　friends　down　a　wide；　airy　corridor。

Daisy　clung　to　her　father's　arm；　a　little　bewildered；　a　little　oppressed　by　her　good　fortune。　　Her　happy　young　voice　was　stilled　by　the　awe　she　felt　at　the　wonderful　place　where　she　found　herself；　and　by　the　glimpses　she　caught　of　great　rooms　full　of　busy；　silent　men　engaged　in　unravelling　…　or　so　she　supposed　　…　the　mysteries　of　crime。

They　were　passing　a　half…open　door　when　Chandler　suddenly　stopped　short。　　〃Look　in　there；〃　he　said；　in　a　low　voice；　addressing　the　father　rather　than　the　daughter；　〃that's　the　Finger…Print　Room。　We've　records　here　of　over　two　hundred　thousand　men's　and　women's　finger…tips！　　I　expect　you　know；　Mr。　Bunting；　as　how；　once　we've　got　the　print　of　a　man's　five　finger…tips；　well；　he's　done　for　…　if　he　ever　does　anything　else；　that　is。　　Once　we've　got　that　bit　of　him　registered　he　can't　never　escape　us　…　no；　not　if　he　tries　ever　so。　But　though　there's　nigh　on　a　quarter　of　a　million　records　in　there；　yet　it　don't　take　…　well；　not　half　an　hour；　for　them　to　tell　whether　any　particular　man　has　ever　been　convicted　before！　　Wonderful　thought；　ain't　it？〃

〃Wonderful！〃　said　Bunting；　drawing　a　deep　breath。　　And　then　a　troubled　look　came　over　his　stolid　face。　　〃Wonderful；　but　also　a　very　fearful　thought　for　the　poor　wretches　as　has　got　their　finger…prints　in；　Joe。〃

Joe　laughed。　　〃Agreed！〃　he　said。　　〃And　the　cleverer　ones　knows　that　only　too　well。　　Why；　not　long　ago；　one　man　who　knew　his　record　was　here　safe；　managed　to　slash　about　his　fingers　something　awful；　just　so　as　to　make　a　blurred　impression　…　you　takes　my　meaning？　　But　there；　at　the　end　of　six　weeks　the　skin　grew　all　right　again；　and　in　exactly　the　same　little　creases　as　before！〃

〃Poor　devil！〃　said　Bunting　under　his　breath；　and　a　cloud　even　came　over　Daisy's　bright　eager　face。

They　were　now　going　along　a　narrower　passage；　and　then　again　they　came　to　a　half…open　door；　leading　into　a　room　far　smaller　than　that　of　the　Finger…Print　Identification　Room。

〃If　you'll　glance　in　there；〃　said　Joe　briefly；　〃you'll　see　how　we　finds　out　all　about　any　man　whose　finger…tips　has　given　him　away；　so　to　speak。　　It's　here　we　keeps　an　account　of　what　he's　done；　his　previous　convictions；　and　so　on。　　His　finger…tips　are　where　I　told　you；　and　his　record　in　there　…　just　connected　by　a　number。〃

〃Wonderful！〃　said　Bunting；　drawing　in　his　breath。　　But　Daisy　was　longing　to　get　on　…　to　get　to　the　Black　Museum。　　All　this　that　Joe　and　her　father　were　saying　was　quite　unreal　to　her；　and；　for　the　matter　of　that　not　worth　taking　the　trouble　to　understand。　　However；　she　had　not　long　to　wait。

A　broad…shouldered；　pleasant…looking　young　fellow；　who　seemed　on　very　friendly　terms　with　Joe　Chandler；　came　forward　suddenly；　and；　unlocking　a　common…place…looking　door；　ushered　the　little　party　of　three　through　into　the　Black　Museum。

For　a　moment　there　came　across　Daisy　a　feeling　of　keen　disappointment　and　surprise。　　This　big；　light　room　simply　reminded　her　of　what　they　called　the　Science　Room　in　the　public　library　of　the　town　where　she　lived　with　Old　Aunt。　　Here；　as　there；　the　centre　was　taken　up　with　plain　glass　cases　fixed　at　a　height　from　the　floor　which　enabled　their　contents　to　be　looked　at　closely。

She　walked　forward　and　peered　into　the　case　nearest　the　door。　　The　exhibits　shown　there　were　mostly　small；　shabby…looking　little　things；　the　sort　of　things　one　might　turn　out　of　an　old　rubbish　cupboard　in　an　untidy　house　…　old　medicine　bottles；　a　soiled　neckerchief；　what　looked　like　a　child's　broken　lantern；　even　a　box　of　pills。　。　。

As　for　the　walls；　they　were　covered　with　the　queerest…looking　objects；　bits　of　old　iron；　odd…looking　things　made　of　wood　and　leather；　and　so　on。

It　was　really　rather　disappointing。

Then　Daisy　Bunting　gradually　became　aware　that　standing　on　a　shelf　just　below　the　first　of　the　broad；　spacious　windows　which　made　the　great　room　look　so　light　and　shadowless；　was　a　row　of　life…size　white　plaster　heads；　each　head　slightly　inclined　to　the　right。　There　were　about　a　dozen　of　these；　not　more　…　and　they　had　such　odd；　staring；　helpless；　real…looking　faces。

〃Whatever's　those？〃　asked　Bunting　in　a　low　voice。

Daisy　clung　a　thought　closer　to　her　father's　arm。　　Even　she　guessed　that　these　strange；　pathetic；　staring　faces　were　the　death…masks　of　those　men　and　women　who　had　fulfilled　the　awful　law　which　ordains　that　the　murderer　shall　be；　in　his　turn；　done　to　death。

〃All　hanged！〃　said　the　guardian　of　the　Black　Museum　briefly。　　〃Casts　taken　after　death。〃

Bunting　smiled　nervously。　　〃They　don't　look　dead　somehow。。　　They　looks　more　as　if　they　were　listening；〃　he　said。

〃That's　the　fault　of　Jack　Ketch；〃　said　the　man　facetiously。　　〃It's　his　idea　…　that　of　knotting　his'　patient's　necktie　under　the　left　ear！　　That's　what　he　does　to