the lodger-第3章

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　himself；　and　giving　himself　the　luxury　of　a　mild；　a　very　mild；　oath　…　Ellen　had　very　early　made　it　clear　she　would　have　no　swearing　in　her　presence　…　he　lit　the　hall　gas　full…flare。

〃How　can　we　hope　to　get　lodgers　if　they　can't　even　see　the　card？〃　he　shouted　angrily。

And　there　was　truth　in　what　he　said；　for　now　that　he　had　lit　the　gas；　the　oblong　card；　though　not　the　word　〃Apartments〃　printed　on　it；　could　be　plainly　seen　out…lined　against　the　old…fashioned　fanlight　above　the　front　door。

Bunting　went　into　the　sitting…room；　silently　followed　by　his　wife；　and　then；　sitting　down　in　his　nice　arm…chair；　he　poked　the　little　banked…up　fire。　　It　was　the　first　time　Bunting　had　poked　the　fire　for　many　a　long　day；　and　this　exertion　of　marital　authority　made　him　feel　better。　　A　man　has　to　assert　himself　sometimes；　and　he；　Bunting；　had　not　asserted　himself　enough　lately。

A　little　colour　came　into　Mrs。　Bunting's　pale　face。　　She　was　not　used　to　be　flouted　in　this　way。　　For　Bunting；　when　not　thoroughly　upset；　was　the　mildest　of　men。

She　began　moving　about　the　room；　flicking　off　an　imperceptible　touch　of　dust　here；　straightening　a　piece　of　furniture　there。

But　her　hands　trembled　…　they　trembled　with　excitement；　with　self…pity；　with　anger。　　A　penny？　　It　was　dreadful　…　dreadful　to　have　to　worry　about　a　penny！　　But　they　had　come　to　the　point　when　one　has　to　worry　about　pennies。　　Strange　that　her　husband　didn't　realise　that。

Bunting　looked　round　once　or　twice；　he　would　have　liked　to　ask　Ellen　to　leave　off　fidgeting；　but　he　was　fond　of　peace；　and　perhaps；　by　now；　a　little　bit　ashamed　of　himself；　so　he　refrained　from　remark；　and　she　soon　gave　over　what　irritated　him　of　her　own　accord。

But　Mrs。　Bunting　did　not　come　and　sit　down　as　her　husband　would　have　liked　her　to　do。　　The　sight　of　him；　absorbed　in　his　paper　as　he　was；　irritated　her；　and　made　her　long　to　get　away　from　him。　　Opening　the　door　which　separated　the　sitting…room　from　the　bedroom　behind；　and　　…　shutting　out　the　aggravating　vision　of　Bunting　sitting　comfortably　by　the　now　brightly　burning　fire；　with　the　Evening　Standard　spread　out　before　him　…　she　sat　down　in　the　cold　darkness；　and　pressed　her　hands　against　her　temples。

Never；　never　had　she　felt　so　hopeless；　so　…　so　broken　as　now。　　Where　was　the　good　of　having　been　an　upright；　conscientious；　self…respecting　woman　all　her　life　long；　if　it　only　led　to　this　utter；　degrading　poverty　and　wretchedness？　　She　and　Bunting　were　just　past　the　age　which　gentlefolk　think　proper　in　a　married　couple　seeking　to　enter　service　together；　unless；　that　is；　the　wife　happens　to　be　a　professed　cook。　　A　cook　and　a　butler　can　always　get　a　nice　situation。　　But　Mrs。　Bunting　was　no　cook。　　She　could　do　all　right　the　simple　things　any　lodger　she　might　get　would　require；　but　that　was　all。

Lodgers？　　How　foolish　she　had　been　to　think　of　taking　lodgers！　　For　it　had　been　her　doing。　　Bunting　bad　been　like　butter　in　her　hands。

Yet　they　had　begun　well；　with　a　lodging…house　in　a　seaside　place。　There　they　had　prospered；　not　as　they　had　hoped　to　do；　but　still　pretty　well；　and　then　had　come　an　epidemic　of　scarlet　fever；　and　that　had　meant　ruin　for　them；　and　for　dozens；　nay；　hundreds；　of　other　luckless　people。　　Then　had　followed　a　business　experiment　which　had　proved　even　more　disastrous；　and　which　had　left　them　in　debt　…　in　debt　to　an　extent　they　could　never　hope　to　repay；　to　a　good…natured　former　employer。

After　that；　instead　of　going　back　to　service；　as　they　might　have　done；　perhaps；　either　together　or　separately；　they　had　made　up　their　minds　to　make　one　last　effort；　and　they　had　taken　over；　with　the　trifle　of　money　that　remained　to　them；　the　lease　of　this　house　in　the　Marylebone　Road。

In　former　days；　when　they　had　each　been　leading　the　sheltered；　impersonal；　and；　above　all；　financially　easy　existence　which　is　the　compensation　life　offers　to　those　men　and　women　who　deliberately　take　upon　themselves　the　yoke　of　domestic　service；　they　had　both　lived　in　houses　overlooking　Regent's　Park。　　It　had　seemed　a　wise　plan　to　settle　in　the　same　neighbourhood；　the　more　so　that　Bunting；　who　had　a　good　appearance；　had　retained　the　kind　of　connection　which　enables　a　man　to　get　a　job　now　and　again　as　waiter　at　private　parties。

But　life　moves　quickly；　jaggedly；　for　people　like　the　Buntings。　Two　of　his　former　masters　had　moved　to　another　part　of　London；　and　a　caterer　in　Baker　Street　whom　he　had　known　went　bankrupt。

And　now？　　Well；　just　now　Bunting　could　not　have　taken　a　job　had　one　been　offered　him；　for　he　had　pawned　his　dress　clothes。　　He　had　not　asked　his　wife's　permission　to　do　this；　as　so　good　a　husband　ought　to　have　done。　　e　had　just　gone　out　and　done　it。　　And　she　had　not　had　the　heart　to　say　anything；　nay；　it　was　with　part　of　the　money　that　he　had　handed　her　silently　the　evening　he　did　it　that　she　had　bought　that　last　packet　of　tobacco。

And　then；　as　Mrs。　Bunting　sat　there　thinking　these　painful　thoughts；　there　suddenly　came　to　the　front　door　the　sound　of　a　loud；　tremulous；　uncertain　double　knock。


CHAPTER　II

Mr。　Bunting　jumped　nervously　to　her　feet。　　She　stood　for　a　moment　listening　in　the　darkness；　a　darkness　made　the　blacker　by　the　line　of　light　under　the　door　behind　which　sat　Bunting　reading　his　paper。

And　then　it　came　again；　that　loud；　tremulous；　uncertain　double　knock；　not　a　knock；　so　the　listener　told　herself；　that　boded　any　good。　　Would…be　lodgers　gave　sharp；　quick；　bold；　confident　raps。　No；　this　must　be　some　kind　of　beggar。　　The　queerest　people　came　at　all　hours；　and　asked　…　whining　or　threatening　…　for　money。

Mrs。　Bunting　had　had　some　sinister　experiences　with　men　and　women　　…　especially　women　…　drawn　from　that　nameless；　mysterious　class　made　up　of　the　human　flotsam　and　jetsam　which　drifts　about　every　great　city。　　But　since　she　had　taken　to　leaving　the　gas　in　the　passage　unlit　at　night　she　had　been　very　little　troubled　with　that　kind　of　visitors；　those　human　bats　which　are　attracted　by　any　kind　of　light　but　leave　alone　those　who　live　in　darkness。

She　opened　the　door　of　the　sitting…room。　　It　was　Bunting's　place　to　go　to　the　front　door；　but　she　knew　far　better　than　he　did　how　to　deal　with　difficult　or　obtrusive　callers。　　Still；　somehow；　she　would　have　liked　him　to　go　to…night。　　But　Bunting　sat　on；　absorbed　in　his　newspaper；　all　he　did　at　the　sound　of　the　bedroom　door　opening　was　to　look　up　and　say；　〃Didn't　you　hear　a　knock？〃

Without　answering　his　question　she　went　out　into　the　hall。

Slowly　she　opened　the　front　door。

On　the　top　of　the　thee　steps　which　led　up　to　the　door；　there　stood　the　long；　lanky　figure　of　a　man；　clad　in　an　Inverness　cape　and　an　old…fashioned　top　hat。　　He　waited　for　a　few　seconds　blinking　at　her；　perhaps　dazzled　by　the　light　of　the　gas　in　the　passage。　　Mrs。　Bunting's　trained　perception　told　her　at　once　that　this　man；　odd　as　he　looked；　was　a　gentleman；　belonging　by　birth　to　the　class　with　whom　her　former　employment　had　brought　her　in　contact。

〃Is　it　not　a　fact　that　you　let　lodgings？〃　he　asked；　and　there　was　something　shrill；　unbalanced；　hesitating；　in　his　voice。

〃Yes；　sir；〃　she　said　uncertainly　…　it　was　a　long；　long　time　since　anyone　had　come　after　their　lodgings；　anyone；　that　is；　that　they　could　think　of　taking　into　their　respectable　house。

Instinctively　she　stepped　a　little　to　one　side；　and　the　stranger　walked　past　her；　and　so　into　the　hall。

And　then；　for　the　first　time；　Mrs。　Bunting　noticed　that　he　held　a　narrow　bag　in　his　left　hand。　　It　was　quite　a　new　bag；　made　of　strong　brown　leather。

〃I　am　looking　for　some　quiet　rooms；〃　he　said；　then　he　repeated　the　words；　〃quiet　rooms；〃　in　a　dreamy；　absent　way；　and　as　he　uttered　them　he　looked　nervously　round　him。

Then　his　sallow　face　brightened；　for　the　hall　had　been　carefully　furnished；　and　was　very　clean。

There　was　a　neat　hat…and…umbrella　stand；　and　the　stranger's　weary　feet　fell　soft　on　a　good；　serviceable　dark…red　drugget；　which　matched　in　colour　the　flock…paper　on　the　walls。

A　very　superior　lodging…house　this；　and　evidently　a　superior　lodging…house　keeper。

〃You'd　find　my　rooms　quite　quiet；　sir；〃　she　said　gently。　　〃And　just　now　I　have　four　to　let。　　The　house　is　empty；　save　for　my　husband　and　me；　sir。〃

Mrs。　Bunting　spoke　in　a　civil