elief and joy of going down and telling Bunting of the

er, she pulled herself together, and tried to still her agitation. She had always dislik

ment looking at her husband's bent back, and she realised,

tood up. He put the paper he had been holding down on

ho ought to have answered the door and done al

hot out, and the ten sovereigns fell i

h an excited, tearful quiver in

there, but with a tro

r nice furniture upstairs. If that were so, then it was the beginning of the end. That furniture in the first-floor front had cost-Ellen had reminded him of the

the heart to

d meeting that troubled, rebuking glance, she g

? He's quite the gentleman! He actually offered to

nev

hey stood there, fascinated by the little heap of gol

o well spoken, I really felt that-I really felt that-" and then Mrs. Bunting, taking a step or t

n?" he said, much moved by her agitati

ed, "I-I won't! I'm

k we was ever going to

at talking, but one thing she did impress on her husband's mind, namely, that Mr. Sleuth was eccent

at last wiping her eyes, "but I can see he will want a

e unfamiliar sound of a loud ring. It was that of

wife eagerly. "I think

elt quite anxious to

, it would be a relief

ai

m waiting! I wonder what it is he wants? I sai

ace. "Whatever d'you think he wanted?" he whispered mysteriously. And a

y in that," she said hastily, "'specially if

unting took off it a large Bible, which had been given to her as a wedding

pper," said Bunting; and, then, "Ellen? He's a queer-lo

," said Mrs. Bunti

ight." But still he lo

like me to just put a

he hadn't got

ely. "He had the misfortune to lose his luggage.

hat with half an ey

out and buy for her. She handed him the list, together with a sovereign. "Be as quick as you can," she said, "for I feel a bit hungry. I'

ting, staring at her

spell it-S

hot out, "S

said do

nd you'll never forget my nam

to pay young Chandler back some o' that thirty shillings. I am g

usiness-Bunting out into the drenching

g upon it nicely and daintily arranged. Mrs

went into her sitting-room and took up the Book; but when back in the hall she hesitated a moment as to whether it was worth while to make two journ

ened the door of the drawing-room she very nearly dropped the tray. She

ings of the early Victorian beauties, of which Mrs. Bu

stooped and picked up the Book. It troubled her that the Book should have fallen to the grou

," he said awkwardly. "You see, Mrs.-er-Bunting, I felt as I sat here that these women's eye

of the table. She made no answer to her lodger's remark

Mr. Sleuth. After what seemed

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 q

-thank you

ppeared grea

my Bible, sir. I understood

elf, he said, "Yes, yes, I do. There is no reading like the Book. There i

laid out what really looked a very appetising li

the kitchen to clear up. And as she did so there came to her a comfortable recollection, an inc

als in Paris. And one morning Mr. Algernon-that was his rather peculiar Christian name-had had the

s as if they had only occurred yesterday, an

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

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 tha

ting, 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 appear

d of-was it talking, in the drawing-room? Startled, she waited a moment on the landing outside the drawing-room door, then she realised th

also lieth in wait as for a prey, and i

in there broke on her shrinking ears that curious, high, sing-song voic

ueer. But at last she summoned up

sir, had I not?" she sai

go to bed now," he said. "I am very, very tired. I

chair and unhooked the pictures which had so offended Mr. Sleuth. Each l

not hear her, she carried them down, t