the lodger-第24章

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　surprised　if　it　comforted　her　quite　a　lot。〃

〃For　the　matter　of　that；　there's　no　reason　why　Joe　Chandler　shouldn't　go　over　and　see　her　there；〃　said　Bunting　hesitatingly。

〃Oh；　yes；　there　is；〃　said　Mrs。　Bunting；　smiling　shrewdly。　　Plenty　of　reason。　　Daisy'll　be　a　very　foolish　girl　if　she　allows　her　aunt　to　know　any　of　her　secrets。　　I've　only　seen　that　woman　once；　hut　I　know　exactly　the　sort　Margaret　is。　　She's　just　waiting　for　Old　Aunt　to　drop　off　and　then　she'll　want　to　have　Daisy　herself　…　to　wait　on　her；　like。　　She'd　turn　quite　nasty　if　she　thought　there　was　a　young　fellow　what　stood　in　her　way。〃

She　glanced　at　the　dock；　the　pretty　little　eight…day　clock　which　had　been　a　wedding　present　from　a　kind　friend　of　her　last　mistress。　It　had　mysteriously　disappeared　during　their　time　of　trouble；　and　had　as　mysteriously　reappeared　three　or　four　days　after　Mr。　Sleuth's　arrival。

〃I've　time　to　go　out　with　that　telegram；〃　she　said　briskly　…　somehow　she　felt　better；　different　to　what　she　had　done　the　last　few　days　…　　〃and　then　it'll　be　done。　　It's　no　good　having　more　words　about　it；　and　I　expect　we　should　have　plenty　more　words　if　I　wait　till　the　child　comes　upstairs　again。〃

She　did　not　speak　unkindly；　and　Bunting　looked　at　her　rather　wonderingly。　　Ellen　very　seldom　spoke　of　Daisy　as　〃the　child　〃　　…　in　fact；　he　could　only　remember　her　having　done　so　once　before；　　and　that　was　a　long　time　ago。　　They　had　been　talking　over　their　　future　life　together；　and　she　had　said；　very　solemnly；　〃Bunting；　　I　promise　I　will　do　my　duty　…　as　much　as　lies　in　my　power；　that　　is　…　by　the　child。〃

But　Ellen　had　not　had　much　opportunity　of　doing　her　duty　by　Daisy。　As　not　infrequently　happens　with　the　duties　that　we　are　willing　to　do；　that　particular　duty　had　been　taken　over　by　someone　else　who　had　no　mind　to　let　it　go。

〃What　shall　I　do　if　Mr。　Sleuth　rings？〃　asked　Bunting；　rather　nervously。　　It　was　the　first　time　since　the　lodger　had　come　to　them　that　Ellen　had　offered　to　go　out　in　the　morning。

She　hesitated。　　In　her　anxiety　to　have　the　matter　of　Daisy　settled；　she　had　forgotten　Mr。　Sleuth。　　Strange　that　she　should　have　done　so　…　strange；　and；　to　herself；　very　comfortable　and　pleasant。

〃Oh；　well；　you　can　just　go　up　and　knock　at　the　door　and　say　I'll　be　back　in　a　few　minutes　…　that　I　had　to　go　out　with　a　message。　　He's　quite　a　reasonable　gentleman。〃　　She　went　into　the　back　room　to　put　on　her　bonnet　and　thick　jacket　for　it　was　very　cold　…　getting　colder　every　minute。

As　she　stood；　buttoning　her　gloves　…　she　wouldn't　have　gone　out　untidy　for　the　world　…　Bunting　suddenly　came　across　to　her。　　〃Give　us　a　kiss；　old　girl；〃　he　said。　　And　his　wife　turned　up　her　face。

〃One　'ud　think　it　was　catching！〃　she　said；　but　there　was　a　lilt　in　her　voice。

〃So　it　is；〃　Bunting　briefly　answered。　　〃Didn't　that　old　cook　get　married　just　after　us？　　She'd　never　'a　thought　of　it　if　it　hadn't　been　for　you！〃

But　once　she　was　out；　walking　along　the　damp；　uneven　pavement；　Mr。　Sleuth　revenged　himself　for　his　landlady's　temporary　forgetfulness。

During　the　last　two　days　the　lodger　had　been　queer；　odder　than　usual；　unlike　himself；　or；　rather；　very　much　as　he　had　been　some　ten　days　ago；　just　before　that　double　murder　had　taken　place。

The　night　before；　while　Daisy　was　telling　all　about　the　dreadful　place　to　which　Joe　Chandler　had　taken　her　and　her　father；　Mrs。　Bunting　had　heard　Mr。　Sleuth　moving　about　overhead；　restlessly　walking　up　and　down　his　sitting…room。　　And　later；　when　she　took　up　his　supper；　she　had　listened　a　moment　outside　the　door；　while　he　read　aloud　some　of　the　texts　his　soul　delighted　in　…　terrible　texts　telling　of　the　grim　joys　attendant　on　revenge。

Mrs。　Bunting　was　so　absorbed　in　her　thoughts；　so　possessed　with　the　curious　personality　of　her　lodger；　that　she　did　not　look　where　she　was　going；　and　suddenly　a　young　woman　bumped　up　against　her。

She　started　violently　and　looked　round；　dazed；　as　the　young　person　muttered　a　word　of　apology；　…　then　she　again　fell　into　deep　thought。

It　was　a　good　thing　Daisy　was　going　away　for　a　few　days；　it　made　the　problem　of　Mr。　Sleuth　and　his　queer　ways　less　disturbing。　　She；　Ellen；　was　sorry　she　had　spoken　so　sharp…like　to　the　girl；　but　after　all　it　wasn't　wonderful　that　she　had　been　snappy。　　This　last　night　she　had　hardly　slept　at　all。　　Instead；　she　had　lain　awake　listening　　…　and　there　is　nothing　so　tiring　as　to　lie　awake　listening　for　a　sound　that　never　comes。

The　house　had　remained　so　still　you　could　have　heard　a　pin　drop。　　Mr。　Sleuth；　lying　snug　in　his　nice　warm　bed　upstairs；　had　not　stirred。　Had　he　stirred　his　landlady　was　bound　to　have　heard　him；　for　his　bed　was；　as　we　know；　just　above　hers。　　No；　during　those　long　hours　of　darkness　Daisy's　light；　regular　breathing　was　all　that　had　fallen　on　Mrs。　Bunting's　ears。

And　then　her　mind　switched　off　Mr。　Sleuth。　　She　made　a　determined　effort　to　expel　him；　to　toss　him；　as　it　were；　out　of　her　thoughts。

It　seemed　strange　that　The　Avenger　had　stayed　his　hand；　for；　as　Joe　had　said　only　last　evening；　it　was　full　time　that　he　should　again　turn　that　awful；　mysterious　searchlight　of　his　on　himself。　　Mrs。　Bunting　always　visioned　The　Avenger　as　a　black　shadow　in　the　centre　a　bright　blinding　light　…　but　the　shadow　had　no　form　or　definite　substance。　　Sometimes　he　looked　like　one　thing；　sometimes　like　another。　。　。

Mrs。　Bunting　had　now　come　to　the　corner　which　led　up　the　street　where　there　was　a　Post　Office。　　But　instead　of　turning　sharp　to　the　left　she　stopped　short　for　a　minute。

There　had　suddenly　come　over　her　a　feeling　of　horrible　self…rebuke　and　even　self…loathing。　　It　was　dreadful　that　she；　of　all　women；　should　have　longed　to　hear　that　another　murder　had　been　committed　last　night！

Yet　such　was　the　shameful　fact。　　She　had　listened　all　through　breakfast　hoping　to　hear　the　dread　news　being　shouted　outside；　yes；　and　more　or　less　during　the　long　discussion　which　had　followed　on　the　receipt　of　Margaret's　letter　she　had　been　hoping　…　hoping　against　hope　…　that　those　dreadful　triumphant　shouts　of　the　newspaper…sellers　still　might　come　echoing　down　the　Marylebone　Road。　And　yet　hypocrite　that　she　was；　she　had　reproved　Bunting　when　he　had　expressed；　not　disappointment　exactly　…　but；　well；　surprise；　that　nothing　had　happened　last　night。

Now　her　mind　switched　off　to　Joe　Chandler。　　Strange　to　think　how　afraid　she　had　been　of　that　young　man！　　She　was　no　longer　afraid　of　him；　or　hardly　at　all。　　He　was　dotty　…　that's　what　was　the　matter　with　him；　dotty　with　love　for　rosy…checked；　blue…eyed　little　Daisy。　Anything　might　now　go　on；　right　under　Joe　Chandler's　very　nose　…　but；　bless　you；　he'd　never　see　it！　　Last　summer；　when　this　affair；　this　nonsense　of　young　Chandler　and　Daisy　bad　begun；　she　had　had　very　little　patience　with　it　all。　　In　fact；　the　memory　of　the　way　Joe　had　gone　on　then；　the　tiresome　way　he　would　be　always　dropping　in；　had　been　one　reason　（though　not　the　most　important　reason　of　all）　why　she　had　felt　so　terribly　put　about　at　the　idea　of　the　girl　coming　again。　　But　now？　　Well；　now　she　had　become　quite　tolerant；　quite　kindly　…　at　any　rate　as　far　as　Joe　Chandler　was　concerned。

She　wondered　why。

Still；　'twouldn't　do　Joe　a　bit　of　harm　not　to　see　the　girl　for　a　couple　of　days。　　In　fact　'twould　be　a　very　good　thing；　for　then　he'd　think　of　Daisy　…　think　of　her　to　the　exclusion　of　all　else。　　Absence　does　make　the　heart　grow　fonder　…　at　first；　at　any　rate。　　Mrs。　Bunting　was　well　aware　of　that。　　During　the　long　course　of　hers　and　Bunting's　mild　courting；　they'd　been　separated　for　about　three　months；　and　it　was　that　three　months　which　had　made　up　her　mind　for　her。　　She　had　got　so　used　to　Bunting　that　she　couldn't　do　without　him；　and　she　had　felt　…　oddest　fact　of　all　…　acutely；　miserably　jealous。　　But　she　hadn't　let　him　know　that　…　no　fear！

Of　course；　Joe　mustn't　neglect　his　job　…　that　would　never　do；　But　what　a　good　thing　it　was；　after　all；　that　he　wasn't　like　some　of　those　detective　chaps　that　are　written　about　in　stories　…　the　sort　of　chaps　that　know　everything；　see　everything；　guess　everything　　…　even　where　there　isn't　anything　to　see；　or　know；　or　guess！

Why；　to　take　only　one　little　fact　…　Joe　Chandler　had　never　shown　the　slightest　curiosity　about　their　l