the lodger-第53章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


deous　treachery。　　I　trusted　you；　Mrs。　Bunting；　and　you　betrayed　me！　　Put　I　am　protected　by　a　higher　power；　for　I　still　have　much　to　do。〃　　Then；　his　voice　sinking　to　a　whisper；　he　hissed　out　〃Your　end　will　be　bitter　as　wormwood　and　sharp　as　a　two…edged　sword。　　Your　feet　shall　go　down　to　death；　and　your　steps　take　hold　on　hell。〃

Even　while　Mr。　Sleuth　was　muttering　these　strange；　dreadful　words；　he　was　looking　round；　glancing　this　way　and　that；　seeking　a　way　of　escape。

At　last　his　eyes　became　fixed　on　a　small　placard　placed　above　a　curtain。　　〃Emergency　Exit〃　was　written　there。　　Mrs。　Bunting　thought　he　was　going　to　make　a　dash　for　the　place；　but　Mr。　Sleuth　did　something　very　different。　　Leaving　his　landlady's　side；　he　walked　over　to　the　turnstile；　he　fumbled　in　his　pocket　for　a　moment；　and　then　touched　the　man　on　the　arm。　　〃I　feel　ill；〃　he　said；　speaking　very　rapidly；　〃very　ill　indeed！　　It　is　the　atmosphere　of　this　place。　I　want　you　to　let　me　out　by　the　quickest　way。　　It　would　be　a　pity　for　me　to　faint　here　…　especially　with　ladies　about。〃　

His　left　hand　shot　out　and　placed　what　he　had　been　fumbling　for　in　his　pocket　on　the　other's　bare　palm。　　〃I　see　there's　an　emergency　exit　over　there。　　Would　it　be　possible　for　me　to　get　out　that　way？〃

〃Well；　yes；　sir；　I　think　so。〃

The　man　hesitated；　he　felt　a　slight；　a　very　sight；　feeling　of　misgiving。　　He　looked　at　Daisy；　flushed　and　smiling；　happy　and　unconcerned；　and　then　at　Mrs。　Bunting。　　She　was　very　pale；　but　surely　her　lodger's　sudden　seizure　was　enough　to　make　her　feel　worried。　　Hopkins　felt　the　half　…sovereign　pleasantly　tickling　his　palm。　　The　Paris　Prefect　of　Police　had　given　him　only　half…a…crown　　…　mean；　shabby　foreigner！

〃Yes；　sir；　I　can　let　you　out　that　way；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃and　p'raps　when　you're　standing　out　in　the　air；　on　the　iron　balcony；　you'll　feel　better。　　But　then；　you　know；　sir；　you'll　have　to　come　round　to　the　front　if　you　wants　to　come　in　again；　for　those　emergency　doors　only　open　outward。〃

〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　Mr。　Sleuth　hurriedly。　　〃I　quite　understand！　　If　I　feel　better　I'll　come　in　by　the　front　way；　and　pay　another　shilling　　…　that's　only　fair。〃

〃You　needn't　do　that　if　you'll　just　explain　what　happened　here。〃

The　man　went　and　pulled　the　curtain　aside；　and　put　his　shoulder　against　the　door。　　It　burst　open；　and　the　light；　for　a　moment；　blinded　Mr。　Sleuth。

He　passed　his　hand　over　his　eyes。　　〃Thank　you；〃　he　muttered；　〃thank　you。　　I　shall　get　all　right　out　there。〃

An　iron　stairway　led　down　into　a　small　stable　yard；　of　which　the　door　opened　into　a　side　street。

Mr。　Sleuth　looked　round　once　more；　he　really　did　feel　very　ill　…　　ill　and　dazed。　　How　pleasant　it　would　be　to　take　a　flying　leap　over　the　balcony　railing　and　find　rest；　eternal　rest；　below。

But　no　…　he　thrust　the　thought　the　temptation；　from　him。　　Again　a　convulsive　look　of　rage　came　over　his　face。　　He　had　remembered　his　landlady。　　How　could　the　woman　whom　he　had　treated　so　generously　have　betrayed　him　to　his　arch…enemy？　　…　to　the　official；　that　is；　who　had　entered　into　a　conspiracy　years　ago　to　have　him　confined　…　him；　an　absolutely　sane　man　with　a　great　avenging　work　to　do　in　the　world　…　　in　a　lunatic　asylum。

He　stepped　out　into　the　open　air；　and　the　curtain；　falling…to　behind　him；　blotted　out　the　tall；　thin　figure　from　the　little　group　of　people　who　had　watched　him　disappear。

Even　Daisy　felt　a　little　scared。　　〃He　did　look　bad；　didn't　he；　now？〃　she　turned　appealingly　to　Mr。　Hopkins。

〃Yes；　that　he　did；　poor　gentleman　…　your　lodger；　too？〃　he　looked　sympathetically　at　Mrs。　Bunting。

She　moistened　her　lips　with　her　tongue。　　〃Yes；〃　she　repeated　dully；　〃my　lodger。〃


CHAPTER　XXVII

In　vain　Mr。　Hopkins　invited　Mrs。　Bunting　and　her　pretty　stepdaughter　to　step　through　into　the　Chamber　of　Horrors。　　〃I　think　we　ought　to　go　straight　home；〃　said　Mr。　Sleuth's　landlady　decidedly。　　And　Daisy　meekly　assented。　　Somehow　the　girl　felt　confused；　a　little　scared　by　the　lodger's　sudden　disappearance。　　Perhaps　this　unwonted　feeling　of　hers　was　induced　by　the　look　of　stunned　surprise　and；　yes；　pain；　on　her　step…mother's　face。

Slowly　they　made　their　way　out　of　the　building；　and　when　they　got　home　it　was　Daisy　who　described　the　strange　way　Mr。　Sleuth　had　been　taken。

〃I　don't　suppose　he'll　be　long　before　he　comes　〃home；〃　said　Bunting　heavily；　and　he　cast　an　anxious；　furtive　look　at　his　wife。　　She　looked　as　if　stricken　in　a　vital　part；　he　saw　from　her　face　that　there　was　something　wrong　…　　very　wrong　indeed。

The　hours　dragged　on。　　All　three　felt　moody　and　ill　at　ease。　　Daisy　knew　there　was　no　chance　that　young　Chandler　would　come　in　to…day。

About　six　o'clock　Mrs。　Bunting　went　upstairs。　　She　lit　the　gas　in　Mr。　Sleuth's　sitting…room　and　looked　about　her　with　a　fearful　glance。　Somehow　everything　seemed　to　speak　to　her　of　the　lodger；　there　lay　her　Bible　and　his　Concordance；　side　by　side　on　the　table；　exactly　as　he　had　left　chew；　when　he　had　come　downstairs　and　suggested　that　ill…starred　expedition　to　his　landlord's　daughter。　　She　took　few　steps　forward；　listening　the　while　anxiously　for　the　familiar　sound　of　the　click　in　the　door　which　would　tell　her　that　the　lodger　had　come　back；　and　then　she　went　over　to　the　window　and　looked　out。

What　a　cold　night　for　a　man　to　be　wandering　about；　homeless；　friendless；　and；　as　she　suspected　with　a　pang；　with　but　very　little　money　on　him！

Turning　abruptly；　she　went　into　the　lodger's　bedroom　and　opened　the　drawer　of　the　looking…glass。

Yes；　there　lay　the　much…diminished　heap　of　sovereigns。　　If　only　he　had　taken　his　money　out　with　him！　　She　wondered　painfully　whether　he　had　enough　on　his　person　to　secure　a　good　night's　lodging；　and　then　suddenly　she　remembered　that　which　brought　relief　to　her　mind。　　The　lodger　had　given　something　to　that　Hopkins　fellow　…　either　a　sovereign　or　half　a　sovereign；　she　wasn't　sure　which。

The　memory　of　Mr。　Sleuth's　cruel　words　to　her；　of　his　threat；　did　not　disturb　her　overmuch。　　It　had　been　a　mistake　…　all　a　mistake。　Far　from　betraying　Mr。　Sleuth；　she　had　sheltered　him　…　kept　his　awful　secret　as　she　could　not　have　kept　it　had　she　known；　or　even　dimly　suspected；　the　horrible　fact　with　which　Sir　John　Burney's　words　had　made　her　acquainted；　namely；　that　Mr。　Sleuth　was　victim　of　no　temporary　aberration；　but　that　he　was；　and　had　been　for　years；　a　madman；　a　homicidal　maniac。

In　her　ears　there　still　rang　the　Frenchman's　half　careless　yet　confident　question；　〃De　Leipsic　and　Liverpool　man？〃

Following　a　sudden　impulse；　she　went　back　into　the　sitting…room；　and　taking　a　black…headed　pin　out　of　her　bodice　stuck　it　amid　the　leaves　of　the　Bible。　　Then　she　opened　the　Book；　and　looked　at　the　page　the　pin　had　marked：　…　

〃My　tabernacle　is　spoiled　and　all　my　cords　are　broken　。　。　。　　　　There　is　none　to　stretch　forth　my　tent　any　more　and　to　set　up　my　curtains。〃

At　last　leaving　the　Bible　open；　Mrs。　Bunting　went　downstairs；　and　as　she　opened　the　door　of　her　sitting…room　Daisy　came　towards　her　stepmother。

〃I'll　go　down　and　start　getting　the　lodger's　supper　ready　for　you；〃　said　the　girl　good…naturedly。　　〃He's　certain　to　come　in　when　he　gets　hungry。　　But　he　did　look　upset；　didn't　he；　Ellen？　　Right　down　bad　…　　that　he　did！〃

Mrs。　Bunting　made　no　answer；　she　simply　stepped　aside　to　allow　Daisy　to　go　down。

〃Mr。　Sleuth　won't　never　come　back　no　more；〃　she　said　sombrely；　and　then　she　felt　both　glad　and　angry　at　the　extraordinary　change　which　came　over　her　husband's　face。　　Yet；　perversely；　that　look　of　relief；　of　right…down　joy；　chiefly　angered　her；　and　tempted　her　to　add；　〃That's　to　say；　I　don't　suppose　he　will。〃

And　Bunting's　face　altered　again；　the　old；　anxious；　depressed　look；　the　look　it　had　worn　the　last　few　days；　returned。

〃What　makes　you　think　he　mayn't　come　back？〃　he　muttered。

〃Too　long　to　tell　you　now；〃　she　said。　　〃Wait　till　the　child's　gone　to　bed。〃

And　Bunting　had　to　restrain　his　curiosity。

And　then；　when　at　last　Daisy　had　gone　off　to　the　back　room　where　she　now　slept　with　her　stepmother；　Mrs。　Bunting　beckoned　to　her　husband　to　follow　her　upstairs。

Before　doing　so　he　went　down　the　passage　and　put　the　chain　on　the　door。　　And　about　this　they　had　a　few　sharp　whispered　words。

〃You're　never　going　to　shut　h