the lodger-第8章

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　such　a　day　as　this。

Then　she　came　back　and　showed　the　lodger　her　various　purchases。　　Mr。　Sleuth　was　pleased　with　everything；　and　thanked　her　most　courteously。　But　when　she　suggested　doing　his　bedroom　he　frowned；　and　looked　quite　put　out。

〃Please　wait　till　this　evening；〃　he　said　hastily。　　〃It　is　my　custom　to　stay　at　home　all　day。　　I　only　care　to　walk　about　the　streets　when　the　lights　are　lit。　　You　must　bear　with　me；　Mrs。　Bunting；　if　I　seem　a　little；　just　a　little；　unlike　the　lodgers　you　have　been　accustomed　to。　　And　I　must　ask　you　to　understand　that　I　must　not　be　disturbed　when　thinking　out　my　problems　…　〃　　He　broke　off　short；　sighed；　then　added　solemnly；　〃for　mine　are　the　great　problems　of　life　and　death。〃

And　Mrs。　Bunting　willingly　fell　in　with　his　wishes。　　In　spite　of　her　prim　manner　and　love　of　order；　Mr。　Sleuth's　landlady　was　a　true　woman　　…　she　had；　that　is；　an　infinite　patience　with　masculine　vagaries　and　oddities。


When　she　was　downstairs　again；　Mr。　Sleuth's　landlady　met　with　a　surprise；　but　it　was　quite　a　pleasant　surprise。　　While　she　had　been　upstairs；　talking　to　the　lodger；　Bunting's　young　friend；　Joe　Chandler；　the　detective；　had　come　in；　and　as　she　walked　into　the　sitting…room　she　saw　that　her　husband　was　pushing　half　a　sovereign　across　the　table　towards　Joe。

Joe　Chandler's　fair；　good…natured　face　was　full　of　satisfaction：　not　at　seeing　his　money　again；　mark　you；　but　at　the　news　Bunting　had　evidently　been　telling　him　…　that　news　of　the　sudden　wonderful　change　in　their　fortunes；　the　coming　of　an　ideal　lodger。

〃Mr。　Sleuth　don't　want　me　to　do　his　bedroom　till　he's　gone　out！〃　she　exclaimed。　　And　then　she　sat　down　for　a　bit　of　a　rest。

It　was　a　comfort　to　know　that　the　lodger　was　eating　his　good　breakfast？　　and　there　was　no　need　to　think　of　him　for　the　present。　In　a　few　minutes　she　would　be　going　down　to　make　her　own　and　Bunting's　dinner；　and　she　told　Joe　Chandler　that　he　might　as　well　stop　and　have　a　bite　with　them。

Her　heart　warmed　to　the　young　man；　for　Mrs。　Bunting　was　in　a　mood　which　seldom　surprised　her　…　a　mood　to　be　pleased　with　anything　and　everything。　　Nay；　more。　　When　Bunting　began　to　ask　Joe　Chandler　about　the　last　of　those　awful　Avenger　murders；　she　even　listened　with　a　certain　languid　interest　to　all　he　had　to　say。

In　the　morning　paper　which　Bunting　had　begun　taking　again　that　very　day　three　columns　were　devoted　to　the　extraordinary　mystery　which　was　now　beginning　to　be　the　one　topic　of　talk　all　over　London；　West　and　East；　North　and　South。　　Bunting　had　read　out　little　bits　about　it　while　they　ate　their　breakfast；　and　in　spite　of　herself　Mrs。　Bunting　had　felt　thrilled　and　excited。

〃They　do　say；〃　observed　Bunting　cautiously；　〃They　do　say；　Joe；　that　the　police　have　a　clue　they　won't　say　nothing　about？〃　　He　looked　expectantly　at　his　visitor。　　To　Bunting　the　fact　that　Chandler　was　attached　to　the　detective　section　of　the　Metropolitan　Police　invested　the　young　man　with　a　kind　of　sinister　glory　…　especially　just　now；　when　these　awful　and　mysterious　crimes　were　amazing　and　terrifying　the　town。

〃Them　who　says　that　says　wrong；〃　answered　Chandler　slowly；　and　a　look　of　unease；　of　resentment　came　over　his　fair；　stolid　face。　〃'Twould　make　a　good　bit　of　difference　to　me　if　the　Yard　had　a　clue。〃

And　then　Mrs。　Bunting　interposed。　　〃Why　that；　Joe？〃　she　said；　smiling　indulgently；　the　young　man's　keenness　about　his　work　pleased　her。　　And　in　his　slow；　sure　way　Joe　Chandler　was　very　keen；　and　took　his　job　very　seriously。　　He　put　his　whole　heart　and　mind　into　it。

〃Well；　'tis　this　way；〃　he　explained。　　〃From　to…day　I'm　on　this　business　myself。　　You　see；　Mrs。　Bunting；　the　Yard's　nettled　…　that's　what　it　is；　and　we're　all　on　our　mettle　…　that　we　are。　　I　was　right　down　sorry　for　the　poor　chap　who　was　on　point　duty　in　the　street　where　the　last　one　happened　…　〃

〃No！〃　said　Bunting　incredulously。　　〃You　don't　mean　there　was　a　policeman　there；　within　a　few　yards？〃

That　fact　hadn't　been　recorded　in　his　newspaper。

Chandler　nodded。　　〃That's　exactly　what　I　do　mean；　Mr。　Bunting！　　The　man　is　near　off　his　head；　so　I'm　told。　　He　did　hear　a　yell；　so　he　says；　but　he　took　no　notice　…　there　are　a　good　few　yells　in　that　part　o'　London；　as　you　can　guess。　　People　always　quarrelling　and　rowing　at　one　another　in　such　low　parts。〃

〃Have　you　seen　the　bits　of　grey　paper　on　which　the　monster　writes　his　name？〃　inquired　Bunting　eagerly。

Public　imagination　had　been　much　stirred　by　the　account　of　those　three…cornered　pieces　of　grey　paper；　pinned　to　the　victims'　skirts；　on　which　was　roughly　written　in　red　ink　and　in　printed　characters　　the　words　〃The　Avenger。〃

His　round；　fat　face　was　full　of　questioning　eagerness。　　He　put　his　elbows　on　the　table；　and　stared　across　expectantly　at　the　young　man。

〃Yes；　I　have；〃　said　Joe　briefly。

〃A　funny　kind　of　visiting　card；　eh！〃　Bunting　laughed；　the　notion　struck　him　as　downright　comic。

But　Mrs。　Bunting　coloured。　　〃It　isn't　a　thing　to　make　a　joke　about；〃　she　said　reprovingly。

And　Chandler　backed　her　up。　　〃No；　indeed；〃　he　said　feelingly。　　〃I'll　never　forget　what　I've　been　made　to　see　over　this　job。　　And　as　for　that　grey　bit　of　paper；　Mr。　Bunting　…　or；　rather；　those　grey　bits　of　paper　〃　…　he　corrected　himself　hastily　…　〃　you　know　they've　three　of　them　now　at　the　Yard　…　well；　they　gives　me　the　horrors！〃

And　then　he　jumped　up。　　〃That　reminds　me　that　I　oughtn't　to　be　wasting　my　time　in　pleasant　company　…　〃

〃Won't　you　stay　and　have　a　bit　of　dinner？〃　said　Mrs。　Bunting　solicitously。

But　the　detective　shook　his　head。　　〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I　had　a　bite　before　I　came　out。　　Our　job's　a　queer　kind　of　job；　as　you　know。　　A　lot's　left　to　our　discretion；　so　to　speak；　but　it　don't　leave　us　much　time　for　lazing　about；　I　can　tell　you。〃

When　he　reached　the　door　he　turned　round；　and　with　elaborate　carelessness　he　inquired；　〃Any　chance　of　Miss　Daisy　coming　to　London　again　soon？〃

Bunting　shook　his　head；　but　his　face　brightened。　　He　was　very；　very　fond　of　his　only　child；　the　pity　was　he　saw　her　so　seldom。　　〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I'm　afraid　not　Joe。　　Old　Aunt；　as　we　calls　the　old　lady；　keeps　Daisy　pretty　tightly　tied　to　her　apron…string。　　She　was　quite　put　about　that　week　the　child　was　up　with　us　last　June。〃

〃Indeed？　　Well；　so　long！〃

After　his　wife　had　let　their　friend　out；　Bunting　said　cheerfully；　〃Joe　seems　to　like　our　Daisy；　eh；　Ellen？〃

But　Mrs。　Bunting　shook　her　head　scornfully。　　She　did　not　exactly　dislike　the　girl；　though　she　did　not　hold　with　the　way　Bunting's　daughter　was　being　managed　by　that　old　aunt　of　hers　…　an　idle；　good…for…nothing　way；　very　different　from　the　fashion　in　which　she　herself　had　been　trained　at　the　Foundling；　for　Mrs。　Bunting　as　a　little　child　bad　known　no　other　home；　no　other　family　than　those　provided　by　good　Captain　Coram。

〃Joe　Chandler's　too　sensible　a　young　chap　to　be　thinking　of　girls　yet　awhile；〃　she　said　tartly。

〃No　doubt　you're　right；〃　Bunting　agreed。　　〃Times　be　changed。　　In　my　young　days　chaps　always　had　time　for　that。　　'Twas　just　a　notion　that　came　into　my　head；　hearing　him　asking；　anxious…like；　after　her。〃

******

About　five　o'clock；　after　the　street　lamps　were　well　alight；　Mr。　Sleuth　went　out；　and　that　same　evening　there　came　two　parcels　addressed　to　his　landlady。　　These　parcels　contained　clothes。　　But　it　was　quite　clear　to　Mrs。　Bunting's　eyes　that　they　were　not　new　clothes。　　In　fact；　they　had　evidently　been　bought　in　some　good　second…hand　clothes…shop。　　A　funny　thing　for　a　real　gentleman　like　Mr。　Sleuth　to　do！　　It　proved　that　he　had　given　up　all　hope　of　getting　back　his　lost　luggage。

When　the　lodger　had　gone　out　he　had　not　taken　his　bag　with　him；　of　that　Mrs。　Bunting　was　positive。　　And　yet；　though　she　searched　high　and　low　for　it；　she　could　not　find　the　place　where　Mr。　Sleuth　kept　it。　　And　at　last；　had　it　not　been　that　she　was　a　very　clear…headed　woman；　with　a　good　memory；　she　would　have　been　disposed　to　think　that　the　bag　had　never　existed；　save　in　her　imagination。

But　no；　she　could　not　tell　herself　that！　　She　remembered　exactly　how　it　had　looked　when　Mr。　Sleuth　had　first　stood；　a　strange；　queer…looking　figure　of　a　man；　on　her　doorstep。

She　further　remembered　how　he　had　put　the　bag　down　on　the　floor　of　the　top　front　room；　and