the lodger-第49章

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　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　and　Miss　Daisy　are　out。〃

Bunting　braced　himself　to　hear　the　awful　words　…　the　accusation　of　having　sheltered　a　murderer；　the　monster　whom　all　the　world　was　seeking；　under　his　roof。　　And　then　he　remembered　a　phrase；　a　horrible　legal　phrase　…　〃Accessory　after　the　fact。〃　　Yes；　he　had　been　that；　there　wasn't　any　doubt　about　it！

〃Yes？〃　he　said。　　〃What　is　it；　Joe？〃　and　then　the　unfortunate　man　sat　down　in　his　chair。　　〃Yes？〃　he　said　again　uncertainly；　for　young　Chandler　had　now　advanced　to　the　table；　he　was　looking　at　Bunting　fixedly　…　the　other　thought　threateningly。　　〃Well；　out　with　it；　Joe！　　Don't　keep　me　in　suspense。〃

And　then　a　slight　smile　broke　over　the　young　man's　face。　　〃I　don't　think　what　I've　got　to　say　can　take　you　by　surprise；　Mr。　Bunting。〃

And　Bunting　wagged　his　head　in　a　way　that　might　mean　anything　…　yes　or　no；　as　the　case　might　be。

The　two　men　looked　at　one　another　for　what　seemed　a　very；　very　long　time　to　the　elder　of　them。　　And　then；　making　a　great　effort；　Joe　Chandler　brought　out　the　words；　〃Well；　I　suppose　you　know　what　it　is　I　want　to　talk　about。　　I'm　sure　Mrs。　Bunting　would；　from　a　look　or　two　she's　lately　cast　on　me。　　It's　your　daughter　…　　it's　Miss　Daisy。〃

And　then　Bunting　gave　a　kind　of　cry；　'twixt　a　sob　and　a　laugh。　〃My　girl？〃　he　cried。　　〃Good　Lord；　Joe！　　Is　that　all　you　wants　to　talk　about？　　Why；　you　fair　frightened　me　…　that　you　did！〃

And；　indeed；　the　relief　was　so　great　that　the　room　swam　round　as　he　stared　across　it　at　his　daughter's　lover；　that　lover　who　was　also　the　embodiment　of　that　now　awful　thing　to　him；　the　law。　　He　smiled；　rather　foolishly；　at　his　visitor；　and　Chandler　felt　a　sharp　wave　of　irritation；　of　impatience　sweep　over　his　good…natured　soul。　Daisy's　father　was　an　old　stupid　…　that's　what　he　was。

And　then　Bunting　grew　serious。　　The　room　ceased　to　go　round。　　〃As　far　as　I'm　concerned；〃　he　said；　with　a　good　deal　of　solemnity；　even　a　little　dignity；　〃you　have　my　blessing；　Joe。　　You're　a　very　likely　young　chap；　and　I　had　a　true　respect　for　your　father。〃