the lodger-第9章

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rstep。

She　further　remembered　how　he　had　put　the　bag　down　on　the　floor　of　the　top　front　room；　and　then；　forgetting　what　he　had　done；　how　he　had　asked　her　eagerly；　in　a　tone　of　angry　fear；　where　the　bag　was　　…　only　to　find　it　safely　lodged　at　his　feet！

As　time　went　on　Mrs。　Bunting　thought　a　great　deal　about　that　bag；　for；　strange　and　amazing　fact；　she　never　saw　Mr。　Sleuth's　bag　again。　But；　of　course；　she　soon　formed　a　theory　as　to　its　whereabouts。　The　brown　leather　bag　which　had　formed　Mr。　Sleuth's　only　luggage　the　afternoon　of　his　arrival　was　almost　certainly　locked　up　in　the　lower　part　of　the　drawing…room　chiffonnier。　　Mr。　Sleuth　evidently　always　carried　the　key　of　the　little　corner　cupboard　about　his　person；　Mrs。　Bunting　had　also　had　a　good　hunt　for　that　key；　but；　as　was　the　case　with　the　bag；　the　key　disappeared；　and　she　never　saw　either　the　one　or　the　other　again。


CHAPTER　V

How　quietly；　how　uneventfully；　how　pleasantly；　sped　the　next　few　days。　　Already　life　was　settling　down　into　a　groove。　　Waiting　on　Mr。　Sleuth　was　just　what　Mrs。　Bunting　could　manage　to　do　easily；　and　without　tiring　herself。

It　had　at　once　become　clear　that　the　lodger　preferred　to　be　waited　on　only　by　one　person；　and　that　person　his　landlady。　　He　gave　her　very　little　trouble。　　Indeed；　it　did　her　good　having　to　wait　on　the　lodger；　it　even　did　her　good　that　he　was　not　like　other　gentlemen；　for　the　fact　occupied　her　mind；　and　in　a　way　it　amused　her。　　The　more　so　that　whatever　his　oddities　Mr。　Sleuth　had　none　of　those　tiresome；　disagreeable　ways　with　which　landladies　are　only　too　familiar；　and　which　seem　peculiar　only　to　those　human　beings　who　also　happen　to　be　lodgers。　　To　take　but　one　point：　Mr。　Sleuth　did　not　ask　to　be　called　unduly　early。　　Bunting　and　his　Ellen　had　fallen　into　the　way　of　lying　rather　late　in　the　morning；　and　it　was　a　great　comfort　not　to　have　to　turn　out　to　make　the　lodger　a　cup　of　tea　at　seven；　or　even　half…past　seven。　　Mr。　Sleuth　seldom　required　anything　before　eleven。

But　odd　he　certainly　was。

The　second　evening　he　had　been　with　them　Mr。　Sleuth　had　brought　in　a　book　of　which　the　queer　name　was　Cruden's　Concordance。　　That　and　the　Bible　…　Mrs。　Bunting　had　soon　discovered　that　there　was　a　relation　between　the　two　books　…　seemed　to　be　the　lodger's　only　reading。　　He　spent　hours　each　day；　generally　after　he　had　eaten　the　breakfast　which　also　served　for　luncheon；　poring　over　the　Old　Testament　and　over　that；　strange　kind　of　index　to　the　Book。

As　for　the　delicate　and　yet　the　all…important　question　of　money；　Mr。　Sleuth　was　everything　…　everything　that　the　most　exacting　landlady　could　have　wished。　　Never　had　there　been　a　more　confiding　or　trusting　gentleman。　　On　the　very　first　day　he　had　been　with　them　　he　had　allowed　his　money　…　the　considerable　sum　of　one　hundred　and　eighty…four　sovereigns　…　to　lie　about　wrapped　up　in　little　pieces　of　rather　dirty　newspaper　on　his　dressing…table。　　That　had　quite　upset　Mrs。　Bunting。　　She　had　allowed　herself　respectfully　to　point　out　to　him　that　what　he　was　doing　was　foolish；　indeed　wrong。　　But　as　only　answer　he　had　laughed；　and　she　had　been　startled　when　the　loud；　unusual　and　discordant　sound　had　issued　from　his　thin　lips。

〃I　know　those　I　can　trust；〃　he　had　answered；　stuttering　rather；　as　was　his　way　when　moved。　　〃And　…　and　I　assure　you；　Mrs。　Bunting；　that　I　hardly　have　to　speak　to　a　human　being　…　especially　to　a　woman〃　（and　he　had　drawn　in　his　breath　with　a　hissing　sound）　〃before　I　know　exactly　what　manner　of　person　is　before　me。〃

It　hadn't　taken　the　landlady　very　long　to　find　out　that　her　lodger　had　a　queer　kind　of　fear　and　dislike　of　women。　　When　she　was　doing　the　staircase　and　landings　she　would　often　hear　Mr。　Sleuth　reading　aloud　to　himself　passages　in　the　Bible　that　were　very　uncomplimentary　to　her　sex。　　But　Mrs。　Bunting　had　no　very　great　opinion　of　her　sister　woman；　so　that　didn't　put　her　out。　　Besides；　where　one's　lodger　is　concerned；　a　dislike　of　women　is　better　than　…　well；　than　the　other　thing。

In　any　case；　where　would　have　been　the　good　of　worrying　about　the　lodger's　funny　ways？　　Of　course；　Mr。　Sleuth　was　eccentric。　　If　he　hadn't　been；　as　Bunting　funnily　styled　it；　〃just　a　leetle　touched　upstairs；〃　he　wouldn't　be　here；　living　this　strange；　solitary　life　in　lodgings。　　He　would　be　living　in　quite　a　different　sort　of　way　with　some　of　his　relatives；　or　with　a　friend　of　his　own　class。

There　came　a　time　when　Mrs。　Bunting；　looking　back　　…　as　even　the　least　imaginative　of　us　are　apt　to　look　back　to　any　part　of　our　own　past　lives　which　becomes　for　any　reason　poignantly　memorable　　…　wondered　how　soon　it　was　that　she　had　discovered　that　her　lodger　was　given　to　creeping　out　of　the　house　at　a　time　when　almost　all　living　things　prefer　to　sleep。

She　brought　herself　to　believe　…　but　I　am　inclined　to　doubt　whether　she　was　right　in　so　believing　…　that　the　first　time　she　became　aware　of　this　strange　nocturnal　habit　of　Mr。　Sleuth's　happened　to　be　during　the　night　which　preceded　the　day　on　which　she　had　observed　a　very　curious　circumstance。　　This　very　curious　circumstance　was　the　complete　disappearance　of　one　of　Mr。　Sleuth's　three　suits　of　clothes。

It　always　passes　my　comprehension　how　people　can　remember；　over　any　length　of　time；　not　every　moment　of　certain　happenings；　for　that　is　natural　enough；　but　the　day；　the　hour；　the　minute　when　these　happenings　took　place！　　Much　as　she　thought　about　it　afterwards；　even　Mrs。　Bunting　never　quite　made　up　her　mind　whether　it　was　during　the　fifth　or　the　sixth　night　of　Mr。　Sleuth's　stay　under　her　roof　that　she　became　aware　that　he　had　gone　out　at　two　in　the　morning　and　had　only　come　in　at　five。

But　that　there　did　come　such　a　night　is　certain　…　as　certain　as　is　the　fact　that　her　discovery　coincided　with　various　occurrences　which　were　destined　to　remain　retrospectively　memorable。

******

It　was　intensely　dark；　intensely　quiet　…　the　darkest　quietest　hour　of　the　night；　when　suddenly　Mrs。　Bunting　was　awakened　from　a　deep；　dreamless　sleep　by　sounds　at　once　unexpected　and　familiar。　　She　knew　at　once　what　those　sounds　were。　　They　were　those　made　by　Mr。　Sleuth；　first　coming　down　the　stairs；　and　walking　on　tiptoe　…　she　was　sure　it　was。　　on　tiptoe　…　past　her　door；　and　finally　softly　shutting　the　front　door　behind　him。

Try　as　she　would；　Mrs。　Bunting　found　it　quite　impossible　to　go　to　sleep　again。　　There　she　lay　wide　awake；　afraid　to　move　lest　Bunting　should　waken　up　too；　till　she　heard　Mr。　Sleuth；　three　hours　later；　creep　back　into　the　house　and　so　up　to　bed。

Then；　and　not　till　then；　she　slept　again。　　But　in　the　morning　she　felt　very　tired；　so　tired　indeed；　that　she　had　been　very　glad　when　Bunting　good…naturedly　suggested　that　he　should　go　out　and　do　their　little　bit　of　marketing。

The　worthy　couple　had　very　soon　discovered　that　in　the　matter　of　catering　it　was　not　altogether　an　easy　matter　to　satisfy　Mr。　Sleuth；　and　that　though　he　always　tried　to　appear　pleased。　　This　perfect　lodger　had　one　serious　fault　from　the　point　of　view　of　those　who　keep　lodgings。　　Strange　to　say；　he　was　a　vegetarian。　　He　would　not　eat　meat　in　any　form。　　He　sometimes；　however；　condescended　to　a　chicken；　and　when　he　did　so　condescend　he　generously　intimated　that　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Bunting　were　welcome　to　a　share　in　it。

Now　to…day　…　this　day　of　which　the　happenings　were　to　linger　in　Mrs。　Bunting's　mind　so　very　long；　and　to　remain　so　very　vivid；　it　had　been　arranged　that　Mr。　Sleuth　was　to　have　some　fish　for　his　lunch；　while　what　he　left　was　to　be　〃done　up〃　to　serve　for　his　simple　supper。

Knowing　that　Bunting　would　be　out　for　at　least　an　hour；　for　he　was　a　gregarious　soul；　and　liked　to　have　a　gossip　in　the　shops　he　frequented；　Mrs。　Bunting　rose　and　dressed　in　a　leisurely　manner；　then　she　went　and　〃did〃　her　front　sitting…room。

She　felt　languid　and　dull；　as　one　is　apt　to　feel　after　a　broken　night；　and　it　was　a　comfort　to　her　to　know　that　Mr。　Sleuth　was　not　likely　to　ring　before　twelve。

But　long　before　twelve　a　loud　ring　suddenly　clanged　through　the　quiet　l1ouse。　　She　knew　it　for　the　front　door　bell。

Mrs。　Bunting　frowned。　　No　doubt　the　ring　betokened　one　of　those　tiresome　people　who　come　round　for　old；　bottles　and　such…like　fal…lals。

She　went　slowly；　reluctantly　to　t