the lodger-第50章

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e　my　blessing；　Joe。　　You're　a　very　likely　young　chap；　and　I　had　a　true　respect　for　your　father。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Chandler；　〃that's　very　kind　of　you；　Mr。　Bunting。　　But　how　about　her　…　her　herself？〃

Bunting　stared　at　him。　　It　pleased　him　to　think　that　Daisy　hadn't　given　herself　away；　as　Ellen　was　always　hinting　the　girl　was　doing。

〃I　can't　answer　for　Daisy；〃　he　said　heavily。　　〃You'll　have　to　ask　her　yourself　…　that's　not　a　job　any　other　man　can　do　for　you；　my　lad。〃

〃I　never　gets　a　chance。　　I　never　sees　her；　not　by　our　two　selves；〃　said　Chandler；　with　some　heat。　　〃You　don't　seem　to　understand；　Mr。　Bunting；　that　I　never　do　see　Miss　Daisy　alone；〃　he　repeated。　　〃I　hear　now　that　she's　going　away　Monday；　and　I've　only　once　had　the　chance　of　a　walk　with　her。　　Mrs。　Bunting's　very　particular；　not　to　say　pernickety　in　her　ideas；　Mr。　Bunting　…　〃

〃That's　a　fault　on　the　right　side；　that　is　…　with　a　young　girl；〃　said　Bunting　thoughtfully。

And　Chandler　nodded。　　He　quite　agreed　that　as　regarded　other　young　chaps　Mrs。　Bunting　could　not　be　too　particular。

〃She's　been　brought　up　like　a　lady；　my　Daisy　has；〃　went　on　Bunting；　with　some　pride。　　〃That　Old　Aunt　of　hers　hardly　lets　her　out　of　her　sight。〃

〃I　was　coming　to　the　old　aunt；〃　said　Chandler　heavily。　　〃Mrs。　Bunting　she　talks　as　if　your　daughter　was　going　to　stay　with　that　old　woman　the　whole　of　her　natural　life　…　now　is　that　right？　　That's　what　I　wants　to　ask　you；　Mr。　Bunting；　…　is　that　right？〃

〃I'll　say　a　word　to　Ellen；　don't　you　fear；〃　said　Bunting　abstractedly。

His　mind　had　wandered　off；　away　from　Daisy　and　this　nice　young　chap；　to　his　now　constant　　anxious　preoccupation。　　〃You　come　along　to…morrow；〃　he　said；　〃and　I'll　see　you　gets　your　walk　with　Daisy。　It's　only　right　you　and　she　should　have　a　chance　of　seeing　one　another　without　old　folk　being　by；　else　how's　the　girl　to　tell　whether　she　likes　you　or　not！　　For　the　matter　of　that；　you　hardly　knows　her；　Joe　…　〃　　He　looked　at　the　young　man　consideringly。

Chandler　shook　his　head　impatiently。　　〃I　knows　her　quite　as　well　as　I　wants　to　know　her；〃　he　said。　　〃I　made　up　my　mind　the　very　first　time　I　see'd　her；　Mr。　Bunting。〃

〃No！　　Did　you　really？〃　said　Bunting。　　〃Well；　come　to　think　of　it；　I　did　so　with　her　mother；　aye；　and　years　after；　with　Ellen；　too。　But　I　hope　you'll　never　want　no　second；　Chandler；〃

〃God　forbid！〃　said　the　young　man　under　his　breath。　　And　then　he　asked；　rather　longingly；　〃D'you　think　they'll　be　out　long　now；　Mr。　Bunting？〃

And　Bunting　woke　up　to　a　due　sense　of　hospitality。　　〃Sit　down；　sit　down；　do！〃　he　said　hastily。　　〃I　don't　believe　they'll　be　very　long。　They've　only　got　a　little　bit　of　shopping　to　do。〃

And　then；　in　a　changed；　in　a　ringing；　nervous　tone；　he　asked；　〃And　how　about　your　job；　Joe？　　Nothing　new；　I　take　it？　　I　suppose　you're　all　just　waiting　for　the　next　time？〃

〃Aye　…　that's　about　the　figure　of　it。〃　Chandler's　voice　had　also　changed；　it　was　now　sombre；　menacing。　　〃We're　fair　tired　of　it　…　　beginning　to　wonder　when　it'll　end；　that　we　are！〃

〃Do　you　ever　try　and　make　to　yourself　a　picture　of　what　the　master's　like？〃　asked　Bunting。　　Somehow；　he　felt　he　must　ask　that。

〃Yes；〃　said　Joe　slowly。　　〃I've　a　sort　of　notion　…　a　savage；　fierce…looking　devil；　the　chap　must　be。　　It's　that　description　that　was　circulated　put　us　wrong。　　I　don't　believe　it　was　the　man　that　knocked　up　against　that　woman　in　the　fog　…　no；　not　one　bit　I　don't。　But　I　wavers；　I　can't　quite　make　up　my　mind。　　Sometimes　I　think　it's　a　sailor　…　the　foreigner　they　talks　about；　that　goes　away　for　eight　or　nine　days　in　between；　to　Holland　maybe；　or　to　France。　　Then；　again；　I　says　to　myself　that　it's　a　butcher；　a　man　from　the　Central　Market。　　Whoever　it　is；　it's　someone　used　to　killing；　that's　flat。〃

〃Then　it　don't　seem　to　you　possible　…　？〃　（Bunting　got　up　and　walked　over　to　the　window。）　　〃You　don't　take　any　stock；　I　suppose；　in　that　idea　some　of　the　papers　put　out；　that　the　man　is〃　…　then　he　hesitated　and　brought　out；　with　a　gasp　…　〃a　gentleman？〃

Chandler　looked　at　him；　surprised。　　〃No；〃　he　said　deliberately。　〃I've　made　up　my　mind　that's　quite　a　wrong　tack；　though　I　knows　that　some　of　our　fellows　…　big　pots；　too　…　are　quite　sure　that　the　fellow　what　gave　the　girl　the　sovereign　is　the　man　we're　looking　for。　　You　see；　Mr。　Bunting；　if　that's　the　fact　…　well；　it　stands　to　reason　the　fellow's　an　escaped　lunatic；　and　if　he's　an　escaped　lunatic　he's　got　a　keeper；　and　they'd　be　raising　a　hue　and　cry　after　him；　now；　wouldn't　they？〃

〃You　don't　think；〃　went　on　Bunting；　lowering　his　voice；　〃that　he　could　be　just　staying　somewhere；　lodging　like？〃

〃　D'you　mean　that　The　Avenger　may　be　a　toff；　staying　in　some　West…end　hotel；　Mr。　Bunting？　　Well；　things　almost　as　funny　as　that　'ud　be　have　come　to　pass。〃　　He　smiled　as　if　the　notion　was　a　funny　one。

〃Yes；　something　o'　that　sort；〃　muttered　Bunting。

〃Well；　if　your　idea's　correct；　Mr。…　Bunting　…　〃

〃I　never　said　'twas　my　idea；〃　said　Bunting；　all　in　a　hurry。

〃Well；　if　that　idea's　correct　then；　'twill　make　our　task　more　difficult　than　ever。　　Why；　'twould　be　looking　for　a　needle　in　a　field　of　hay；　Mr。　Bunting！　　But　there！　　I　don't　think　it's　anything　quite　so　unlikely　as　that　…　not　myself　I　don't。〃　　He　hesitated。　　〃There's　some　of　us〃　…　he　lowered　his　voice…〃　that　hopes　he'll　betake　himself　off　…　The　Avenger；　I　mean　…　to　another　big　city；　to　Manchester　or　to　Edinburgh。　　There'd　be　plenty　of　work　for　him　to　do　there；〃　and　Chandler　chuckled　at　his　own　grim　joke。

And　then；　to　both　men's　secret　relief；　for　Bunting　was　now　mortally　afraid　of　this　discussion　concerning　The　Avenger　and　his　doings；　they　heard　Mrs。　Bunting's　key　in　the　lock。

Daisy　blushed　rosy…red　with　pleasure　when　she　saw　that　young　Chandler　was　still　there。　　She　had　feared　that　when　they　got　home　he　would　be　gone；　the　more　so　that　Ellen；　just　as　if　she　was　doing　it　on　purpose；　had　lingered　aggravatingly　long　over　each　small　purchase。

〃Here's　Joe　come　to　ask　if　he　can　take　Daisy　out　for　a　walk；〃　blurted　out　Bunting。

〃My　mother　says　as　how　she'd　like　you　to　come　to　tea；　over　at　Richmond；〃　said　Chandler　awkwardly；　〃I　just　come　in　to　see　whether　we　could　fix　it　up；　Miss　Daisy。〃　　And　Daisy　looked　imploringly　at　her　stepmother。

〃D'you　mean　now　…　this　minute？〃　asked　Mrs。　Bunting　tartly。

〃No；　o'　course　not〃　…　Bunting　broke　in　hastily。　　〃How　you　do　go　on；　Ellen！〃

〃What　day　did　your　mother　mention　would　be　convenient　to　her？〃　asked　Mrs。　Bunting；　looking　at　the　young　man　satirically。

Chandler　hesitated。　　His　mother　had　not　mentioned　any　special　day　　…　in　fact；　his　mother　had　shown　a　surprising　lack　of　anxiety　to　see　Daisy　at　all。　　But　he　had　talked　her　round。

〃How　about　Saturday？〃　suggested　Bunting。　　〃That's　Daisy's'　birthday。　'Twould　be　a　birthday　treat　for　her　to　go　to　Richmond；　and　she's　going　back　to　Old　Aunt　on　Monday。〃

〃I　can't　go　Saturday；〃　said　Chandler　disconsolately。　　〃I'm　on　duty　Saturday。〃

〃Well；　then；　let　it　be　Sunday；〃　said　Bunting　firmly。　　And　his　wife　looked　at　him　surprised；　he　seldom　asserted　himself　so　much　in　her　presence。

〃What　do　you　say；　Miss　Daisy？〃　said　Chandler。

〃Sunday　would　be　very　nice；〃　said　Daisy　demurely。　　And　then；　as　the　young　man　took　up　his　hat；　and　as　her　stepmother　did　not　stir；　Daisy　ventured　to　go　out　into　the　hall　with　him　for　a　minute。

Chandler　shut　the　door　behind　them；　and　so　was　spared　the　hearing　of　Mrs。　Bunting's　whispered　remark：　〃When　I　was　a　young　woman　folk　didn't　gallivant　about　on　Sunday；　those　who　was　courting　used　to　go　to　church　together；　decent…like　…　〃


CHAPTER　XXV

Daisy's　eighteenth　birthday　dawned　uneventfully。　　Her　father　gave　her　what　he　had　always　promised　she　should　have　on　her　eighteenth　birthday　…　a　watch。　　It　was　a　pretty　little　silver　watch；　which　Bunting　had　bought　secondhand　on　the　last　day　he　had　been　happy　…　　it　seemed　a　long；　long　time　ago　now。

Mrs。　Bunting　thought　a　silver　watch　a　very　extravagant　present　but　she　was　far　too　wretched；　far　too　absorbed　in　her　own　thoughts；　to　trouble　much　about　it。　　Besides；　in　such　matters　she　had　generally　had　the　good　sense　not　to　interfere　between　her　husband　and　his　child。

In　the　middle　of　the　birthday　morning　Bunting　went　out　to　buy　himself　some　more　tobacco。　　He　had　n