the lodger-第7章

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Mr。　Sleuth　got　up。　　〃I　…　I　have　taken　the　liberty　to　arrange　the　room　as　I　should　wish　it　to　be；〃　he　said　awkwardly。　　〃You　see；　Mrs。　…　er　…　Bunting；　I　felt　as　I　sat　here　that　these　women's　eyes　followed　me　about。　　It　was　a　most　unpleasant　sensation；　and　gave　me　quite　an　eerie　feeling。〃

The　landlady　was　now　laying　a　small　tablecloth　over　half　of　the　table。　　She　made　no　answer　to　her　lodger's　remark；　for　the　good　reason　that　she　did　not　know　what　to　say。

Her　silence　seemed　to　distress　Mr。　Sleuth。　　After　what　seemed　a　long　pause；　he　spoke　again。

〃I　prefer　bare　walls；　Mrs。　Bunting；〃　he　spoke　with　some　agitation。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　have　been　used　to　seeing　bare　walls　about　me　for　a　long　time。〃　　And　then；　at　last　his　landlady　answered　him；　in　a　composed；　soothing　voice；　which　somehow　did　him　good　to　hear。　〃I　quite　understand；　sir。　　And　when　Bunting　comes　in　he　shall　take　the　pictures　all　down。　　We　have　plenty　of　space　in　our　own　rooms　for　them。〃

〃Thank　you　…　thank　you　very　much。〃

Mr。　Sleuth　appeared　greatly　relieved。

〃And　I　have　brought　you　up　my　Bible；　sir。　　I　understood　you　wanted　the　loan　of　it？〃

Mr。　Sleuth　stared　at　her　as　if　dazed　for　a　moment；　and　then；　rousing　himself；　he　said；　〃Yes；　yes；　I　do。　　There　is　no　reading　like　the　Book。　There　is　something　there　which　suits　every　state　of　mind；　aye；　and　of　body　too　…　〃

〃Very　true；　sir。〃　And　then　Mrs。　Bunting；　having　laid　out　what　really　looked　a　very　appetising　little　meal；　turned　round　and　quietly　shut　the　door。

She　went　down　straight　into　her　sitting…room　and　waited　there　for　Bunting；　instead　of　going　to　the　kitchen　to　clear　up。　　And　as　she　did　so　there　came　to　her　a　comfortable　recollection；　an　incident　of　her　long…past　youth；　in　the　days　when　she；　then　Ellen　Green；　had　maided　a　dear　old　lady。

The　old　lady　had　a　favourite　nephew　…　a　bright；　jolly　young　gentleman；　who　was　learning　to　paint　animals　in　Paris。　　And　one　morning　Mr。　Algernon　…　that　was　his　rather　peculiar　Christian　name　…　had　had　the　impudence　to　turn　to　the　wall　six　beautiful　engravings　of　paintings　done　by　the　famous　Mr。　Landseer！

Mrs。　Bunting　remembered　all　the　circumstances　as　if　they　had　only　occurred　yesterday；　and　yet　she　had　not　thought　of　them　for　years。

It　was　quite　early；　she　had　come　down　…　for　in　those　days　maids　weren't　thought　so　much　of　as　they　are　now；　and　she　slept　with　the　upper　housemaid；　and　it　was　the　upper　housemaid's　duty　to　be　down　very　early　…　and；　there；　in　the　dining…room；　she　had　found　Mr。　Algernon　engaged　in　turning　each　engraving　to　the　wall！　　Now；　his　aunt　thought　all　the　world　of　those　pictures；　and　Ellen　had　felt　quite　concerned；　for　it　doesn't　do　for　a　young　gentleman　to　put　himself　wrong　with　a　kind　aunt。

〃Oh；　sir；〃　she　had　exclaimed　in　dismay；　〃whatever　are　you　doing？〃　And　even　now　she　could　almost　hear　his　merry　voice；　as　he　had　answered；　〃I　am　doing　my　duty；　fair　Helen〃　…　he　had　always　called　her　〃fair　Helen〃　when　no　one　was　listening。　　〃How　can　I　draw　ordinary　animals　when　I　see　these　half…human　monsters　staring　at　me　all　the　time　I　am　having　my　breakfast；　my　lunch；　and　my　dinner？〃　　That　was　what　Mr。　Algernon　had　said　in　his　own　saucy　way；　and　that　was　what　he　repeated　in　a　more　serious；　respectful　manner　to　his　aunt；　when　that　dear　old　lady　had　come　downstairs。　　In　fact　he　had　declared；　quite　soberly；　that　the　beautiful　animals　painted　by　Mr。　Landseer　put　his　eye　out！

But　his　aunt　had　been　very　much　annoyed　…　in　fact；　she　had　made　him　turn　the　pictures　all　back　again；　and　as　long　as　he　stayed　there　he　just　had　to　put　up　with　what　he　called　〃those　half…human　monsters。〃　Mrs。　Bunting；　sitting　there；　thinking　the　matter　of　Mr。　Sleuth's　odd　behaviour　over；　was　glad　to　recall　that　funny　incident　of　her　long…gone　youth。　　It　seemed　to　prove　that　her　new　lodger　was　not　so　strange　as　he　appeared　to　be。　　Still；　when　Bunting　came　in；　she　did　not　tell　him　the　queer　thing　which　had　happened。　　She　told　herself　that　she　would　be　quite　able　to　manage　the　taking　down　of　the　pictures　in　the　drawing…room　herself。

But　before　getting　ready　their　own　supper；　Mr。　Sleuth's　landlady　went　upstairs　to　dear　away；　and　when　on　the　staircase　she　heard　the　sound　of　…　was　it　talking；　in　the　drawing…room？　　Startled；　she　waited　a　moment　on　the　landing　outside　the　drawing…room　door；　then　she　realised　that　it　was　only　the　lodger　reading　aloud　to　himself。　There　was　something　very　awful　in　the　words　which　rose　and　fell　on　her　listening　ears：

〃A　strange　woman　is　a　narrow　gate。　　She　also　lieth　in　wait　as　for　a　prey；　and　increaseth　the　transgressors　among　men。〃

She　remained　where　she　was；　her　hand　on　the　handle　of　；the　door；　and　again　there　broke　on　her　shrinking　ears　that　curious；　high；　sing…song　voice；　〃Her　house　is　the　way　to　hell；　going　down　to　the　chambers　of　death。〃

It　made　the　listener　feel　quite　queer。　　But　at　last　she　summoned　up　courage；　knocked；　and　walked　in。

〃I'd　better　clear　away；　sir；　had　I　not？〃　she　said。　　And　Mr。　Sleuth　nodded。

Then　he　got　up　and　dosed　the　Book。　　〃I　think　I'll　go　to　bed　now；〃　he　said。　　〃I　am　very；　very　tired。　　I've　had　a　long　and　a　very　weary　day；　Mrs。　Bunting。〃

After　he　had　disappeared　into　the　back　room；　Mrs。　Bunting　climbed　up　on　a　chair　and　unhooked　the　pictures　which　had　so　offended　Mr。　Sleuth。　　Each　left　an　unsightly　mark　on　the　wall　…　but　that；　after　all；　could　not　be　helped。

Treading　softly；　so　that　Bunting　should　not　hear　her；　she　carried　them　down；　two　by　two；　and　stood　them　behind　her　bed。


CHAPTER　IV

Mrs。　Bunting　woke　up　the　next　morning　feeling　happier　than　she　had　felt　for　a　very；　very　long　time。

For　just　one　moment　she　could　not　think　why　she　felt　so　different　　…　and　then　she　suddenly　remembered。

How　comfortable　it　was　to　know　that　upstairs；　just　over　her　head；　lay；　in　the　well…found　bed　she　had　bought　with　such　satisfaction　at　an　auction　held　in　a　Baker　Street　house；　a　lodger　who　was　paying　two　guineas　a　week！　　Something　seemed　to　tell　her　that　Mr。　Sleuth　would　be　〃a　permanency。〃　In　any　case；　it　wouldn't　be　her　fault　if　he　wasn't。　　As　to　his　…　his　queerness；　well；　there's　always　something　funny　in　everybody。　　But　after　she　had　got　up；　and　as　the　morning　wore　itself　away；　Mrs。　Bunting　grew　a　little　anxious；　for　there　came　no　sound　at　all　from　the　new　lodger's　rooms。　　At　twelve；　however；　the　drawing…room　bell　rang。　　Mrs。　Bunting　hurried　upstairs。　She　was　painfully　anxious　to　please　and　satisfy　Mr。　Sleuth。　　His　coming　had　only　been　in　the　nick　of　time　to　save　them　from　terrible　disaster。

She　found　her　lodger　up；　and　fully　dressed。　　He　was　sitting　at　the　round　table　which　occupied　the　middle　of　the　sitting…room；　and　his　landlady's　large　Bible　lay　open　before　him。

As　Mrs。　Bunting　came　in；　he　looked　up；　and　she　was　troubled　to　see　how　tired　and　worn　he　seemed。

〃You　did　not　happen；〃　he　asked；　〃to　have　a　Concordance；　Mrs。　Bunting？〃

She　shook　her　head；　she　had　no　idea　what　a　Concordance　could　be；　but　she　was　quite　sure　that　she　had　nothing　of　the　sort　about。

And　then　her　new　lodger　proceeded　to　tell　her　what　it　was　he　desired　her　to　buy　for　him。　　She　had　supposed　the　bag　he　had　brought　with　him　to　contain　certain　little　necessaries　of　civilised　life　…　such　articles；　for　instance；　as　a　comb　and　brush；　a　set　of　razors；　a　toothbrush；　to　say　nothing　of　a　couple　of　nightshirts　…　but　no；　that　was　evidently　not　so；　for　Mr。　Sleuth　required　all　these　things　to　be　bought　now。

After　having　cooked　him　a　nice　breakfast　Mrs。　Bunting　hurried　out　to　purchase　the　things　of　which　he　was　in　urgent　need。

How　pleasant　it　was　to　feel　that　there　was　money　in　her　purse　again　…　not　only　someone　else's'　money；　but　money　she　was　now　in　the　very　act　of　earning　so　agreeably。

Mrs。　Bunting　first　made　her　way　to　a　little　barber's　shop　close　by。　It　was　there　she　purchased　the　brush　and　comb　and　the　razors。　　It　was　a　funny；　rather　smelly　little　place；　and　she　hurried　as　much　as　she　could；　the　more　so　that　the　foreigner　who　served　her　insisted　on　telling　her　some　of　the　strange；　peculiar　details　of　this　Avenger　murder　which　had　taken　place　forty…eight　hours　before；　and　in　which　Bunting　took　such　a　morbid　interest。

The　conversation　upset　Mrs。　Bunting。　　She　didn't　want　to　think　of　anything　painful　or　disagreeable　on