the lodger- 第1部分

The　Lodger

by　Marie　Belloc　Lowndes






〃Lover　and　friend　hast　thou　put　far　from　me；　and　mine　acquaintance　into　darkness。〃　PSALM　lxxxviii。　　18




CHAPTER　I

Robert　Bunting　and　Ellen　his　wife　sat　before　their　dully　burning；　carefully…banked…up　fire。

The　room；　especially　when　it　be　known　that　it　was　part　of　a　house　standing　in　a　grimy；　if　not　exactly　sordid；　London　thoroughfare；　was　exceptionally　clean　and　well…cared…for。　　A　casual　stranger；　more　particularly　one　of　a　Superior　class　to　their　own；　on　suddenly　opening　the　door　of　that　sitting…room；　would　have　thought　that　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Bunting　presented　a　very　pleasant　cosy　picture　of　comfortable　married　life。　　Bunting；　who　was　leaning　back　in　a　deep　leather　arm…chair；　was　clean…shaven　and　dapper；　still　in　appearance　what　he　had　been　for　many　years　of　his　life　…　a　self…respecting　man…servant。

On　his　wife；　now　sitting　up　in　an　uncomfortable　straight…backed　chair；　the　marks　of　past　servitude　were　less　apparent；　but　they　were　there　all　the　same　…　in　her　neat　black　stuff　dress；　and　in　her　scrupulously　clean；　plain　collar　and　cuffs。　　Mrs。　Bunting；　as　a　single　woman；　had　been　what　is　known　as　a　useful　maid。

But　peculiarly　true　of　average　English　life　is　the　time…worn　English　proverb　as　to　appearances　being　deceitful。　　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Bunting　were　sitting　in　a　very　nice　room　and　in　their　time　…　how　long　ago　it　now　seemed！　　…　both　husband　and　wife　had　been　proud　of　their　carefully　chosen　belongings。　　Everything　in　the　room　was　strong　and　substantial；　and　each　article　of　furniture　had　been　bought　at　a　well…conducted　auction　held　in　a　private　house。

Thus　the　red　damask　curtains　which　now　shut　out　the　fog…laden；　drizzling　atmosphere　of　the　Marylebone　Road；　had　cost　a　mere　song；　and　yet　they　might　have　been　warranted　to　last　another　thirty　years。　A　great　bargain　also　had　been　the　excellent　Axminster　carpet　which　covered　the　floor；　as；　again；　the　arm…chair　in　which　Bunting　now　sat　forward；　staring　into　the　dull；　small　fire。　　In　fact；　that　arm…chair　had　been　an　extravagance　of　Mrs。　Bunting。　　She　had　wanted　her　husband　to　be　comfortable　after　the　day's　work　was　done；　and　she　had　paid　thirty…seven　shillings　for　the　chair。　　Only　yesterday　Bunting　had　tried　to　find　a　purchaser　for　it；　but　the　man　who　had　come　to　look　at　it；　guessing　their　cruel　necessities；　had　only　offered　them　twelve　shillings　and　sixpence　for　it；　so　for　the　present　they　were　keeping　their　arm…chair。

But　man　and　woman　want　something　more　than　mere　material　comfort；　much　as　that　is　valued　by　the　Buntings　of　this　world。　　So；　on　the　walls　of　the　sitting…room；　hung　neatly　framed　if　now　rather　faded　photographs　…　photographs　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Bunting's　various　former　employers；　and　of　the　pretty　country　houses　in　which　they　had　separately　lived　during　the　long　years　they　had　spent　in　a　not　unhappy　servitude。

But　appearances　were　not　only　deceitful；　they　were　more　than　usually　deceitful　with　regard　to　these　un…fortunate　people。　　In　spite　of　their　　good　furniture　…　that　substantial　outward　sign　of　respectability　which　is　the　last　thing　which　wise　folk　who　fall　into　trouble　try　to　dispose　of　…　they　were　almost　at　the　end　of　their　tether。　　Already　they　had　learnt　to　go　hungry；　and　they　were　beginning　to　learn　to　go　cold。　　Tobacco；　the　last　thing　the　sober　man　foregoes　among　his　comforts；　had　been　given　up　some　time　ago　by　Bunting。　　And　even　Mrs。　Bunting　…　prim；　prudent；　careful　woman　as　she　was　in　her　way　…　had　realised　what　this　must　mean　to　him。　So　well；　indeed；　had　she　understood　that　some　days　back　she　had　crept　out　and　bought　him　a　packet　of　Virginia。

Bunting　had　been　touched　…　touched　as　he　had　not　been　for　years　by　any　woman's　thought　and　love　for　him。　　Painful　tears　had　forced　themselves　into　his　eyes；　and　husband　and　wife　had　both　felt　in　their　odd；　unemotional　way；　moved　to　the　heart。

Fortunately　he　never　guessed　…　how　could　he　have　guessed；　with　his　slow；　normal；　rather　dull　mind？　　…　that　his　poor　Ellen　had　since　more　than　once　bitterly　regretted　that　fourpence…ha'penny；　for　they　were　now　very　near　the　soundless　depths　which　divide　those　who　dwell　on　the　safe　tableland　of　security　…　those；　that　is；　who　are　sure　of　making　a　respectable；　if　not　a　happy；　living　…　and　the　submerged　multitude　who；　through　some　lack　in　themselves；　or　owing　to　the　conditions　under　which　our　strange　civilisation　has　become　organised；　struggle　rudderless　till　they　die　in　workhouse；　hospital；　or　prison。

Had　the　Buntings　been　in　a　class　lower　than　their　own；　had　they　belonged　to　the　great　company　of　human　beings　technically　known　to　so　many　of　us　as　the　poor；　there　would　have　been　friendly　neighbours　ready　to　help　them；　and　the　same　would　have　been　the　case　had　they　belonged　to　the　class　of　smug；　well…meaning；　if　unimaginative；　folk　whom　they　had　spent　so　much　of　their　lives　in　serving。

There　was　only　one　person　in　the　world　who　might　possibly　be　brought　to　help　them。　　That　was　an　aunt　of　Bunting's　first　wife。　　With　this　woman；　the　widow　of　a　man　who　had　been　well…to…do；　lived　Daisy；　Bunting's　only　child　by　his　first　wife；　and　during　the　last　long　two　days　he　had　been　trying　to　make　up　his　mind　to　write　to　the　old　lady；　and　that　though　he　suspected　that　she　would　almost　certainly　retort　with　a　cruel；　sharp　rebuff。

As　to　their　few　acquaintances；　former　fellow…servants；　and　so　on；　they　had　gradually　fallen　out　of　touch　with　them。　　There　was　but　one　friend　who　often　came　to　see　them　in　their　deep　trouble。　　This　was　a　young　fellow　named　Chandler；　under　whose　grandfather　Bunting　had　been　footman　years　and　years　ago。　　Joe　Chandler　had　never　gone　into　service；　he　was　attached　to　the　police；　in　fact　not　to　put　too　fine　a　point　upon　it；　young　Chandler　was　a　detective。

When　they　had　first　taken　the　house　which　had　brought　them；　so　they　both　thought；　such　bad　luck；　Bunting　had　encouraged　the　young　chap　to　come　often；　for　his　tales　were　well　worth　listening　to　…　quite　exciting　at　times。　　But　now　poor　Bunting　didn't　want　to　hear　that　sort　of　stories　…　stories　of　people　being　cleverly　〃nabbed；〃　or　stupidly　allowed　to　escape　the　fate　they　always；　from　Chandler's　point　of　view；　richly　deserved。

But　Joe　still　came　very　faithfully　once　or　twice　a　week；　so　timing　his　calls　that　neither　host　nor　hostess　need　press　food　upon　him　　…　nay；　more；　he　had　done　that　which　showed　him　to　have　a　good　and　feeling　heart。　　He　had　offered　his　father's　old　acquaintance　a　loan；　and　Bunting；　at　last；　had　taken　30s。　　Very　little　of　that　money　now　remained：　Bunting　still　could　jingle　a　few　coppers　in　his　pocket；　and　Mrs。　Bunting　had　2s。　9d。；　that　and　the　rent　they　would　have　to　pay　in　five　weeks；　was　all　they　had　left。　　Everything　of　the　light；　portable　sort　that　would　fetch　money　had　been　said。　　Mrs。　Bunting　had　a　fierce　horror　of　the　pawnshop。　　She　had　never　put　her　feet　in　such　a　place；　and　she　declared　she　never　would　…　she　would　rather　starve　first。

But　she　had　said　nothing　when　there　had　occurred　the　gradual　disappearance　of　various　little　possessions　she　knew　that　Bunting　valued；　notably　of　the　old…fashioned　gold　watch…chain　which　had　been　given　to　him　after　the　death　of　his　first　master；　a　master　he　had　nursed　faithfully　and　kindly　through　a　long　and　terrible　illness。　There　had　also　vanished　a　twisted　gold　tie…pin；　and　a　large　mourning　ring；　both　gifts　of　former　employers。

When　people　are　living　near　that　deep　pit　which　divides　the　secure　from　the　insecure　…　when　they　see　themselves　creeping　closer　and　closer　to　its　dread　edge　…　they　are　apt；　however　loquacious　by　nature；　to　fall　into　long　silences。　　Bunting　had　always　been　a　talker；　but　now　he　talked　no　more。　　Neither　did　Mrs。　Bunting；　but　then　she　had　always　been　a　silent　woman；　and　that　was　perhaps　one　reason　why　Bunting　had　felt　drawn　to　her　from　the　very　first　moment　he　had　seen　her。

It　had　fallen　out　in　this　way。　　A　lady　had　just　engaged　him　as　butler；　and　he　had　been　shown；　by　the　man　whose　place　he　was　to　take；　into　the　dining…room。　　There；　to　use　his　own　expression；　he　had　discovered　Ellen　Green；　carefully　pouring　out　the　glass　of　port　wine　which　her　then　mistress　always　drank　at　11。30　every　morning。　And　as　he；　the　new　butler；　had　seen　her　engaged　in　this　task；　as　he　had　watched　her　carefully　stopper　the　decanter　and　put　it　back　into　the　old　wine…cooler；　he　had　said　to　himself；　〃That　is　the　woman　for　me！〃

But　now　her　stillness；　her　…　her　dumbness；　had　got　on　the　unfortunate　man's　nerves。　　He　no　longer　felt　like　going　into　the　various　little　shops；　close　by；　patronised　by　him　in　more　prosperous　days；　and　Mrs。　Bunting　also　went　afield　to　make　the　slender　purchases　which　still　had　to　be　made　every　day　or　two；　if　they　were　to　be　saved　from　actually　starving　to　death。　　

kept；　looked　as　if　it　could；　　aye；　and　would；　keep　any　se…


Suddenly；　across　the　stillness　of　the　dark　November　evening　there　came　the　muffled　sounds　of　hurrying　feet　and　of　loud；　shrill　shouting　outside　…　boys　crying　the　late　afternoon　editions　of　the　evening　papers。

Bunting　turned　uneasily　in　his　chair。　　The　giving　up　of　a　daily　paper　had　been；　after　his　tobacco；　his　bitterest　deprivation。　　And　the　paper　was　an　older　habit　than　the　tobacco；　for　servants　are　great　readers　of　newspapers。

As　the　sh