ound herself for close on an hour quite alone in the house

he had finished his tea, when dusk was falling, he suddenly observed that he wanted a

giving the two rooms a good dusting; but Mrs. Bunting knew well, deep in her heart, that it was not so much the d

r those of her fellow-servants who read their employers' private letters, and who furtively peepe

as ready, aye, eager, to do herself what

is few things, under-garments, and so on, were in apple-pie order. She had early undertaken, much to his satisfact

weekly job, but lately she had grown quite clever at it herself. The only things s

she now turned her atten

dy pulled out the little drawer, but she did not touch what was lying there; she only glanced at the heap of sovereigns and a few bits of silver. The lodger had taken just enough money

h as a scrap of paper. And at last, when more or less giving up the search, as she came and went between the two rooms,

ject-but there, as to that, he wasn't the only one! She, Ellen Bunting, had once lived with a lady who was just like that, who was quite crazed, that is, on the question of drink and drunkards-She looked round the neat drawing-room wi

rlier than she expected, she went to the corner where the chiffonnier stood, and, exerting the

Sleuth's arrival. Slowly, laboriously, she tipped the chiffonnier backwards and forwards-once, twice, thrice-satisfied, yet strangely troubl

the cupboard. A moment later, with sharp dismay, Mr. Sleuth's landlady realised that the fact that she had moved the chiffonnier must b

d the stuff. It showed red,

red herself quickly. In fact the colour rus

had upset-that was all! How could sh

k. Certain pages of Cruden's Concordance were covered with notes written in Mr. Sleuth's peculiar upright handwriting.

oolish gentleman had done; and it was owing to her inquisitiveness, her restless wish to know thin

en on the green carpet and then, still feeling, as she angrily to

who always used two kinds of notepaper, white for her friends and equals, grey for those whom she called "common people." She, Ellen Green, as she then was, had always resented the fact. Strange she should remember it now, stranger in a way because that employer of h

ioned wardrobe and lifted up the few pieces

med something strange in the notion of leaving all one's money where anyone could take it, and in

below the looking-glass, each delicately fashioned of fine

her first fifteen shillings, and then a guinea for it. Not long ago, in Baker Street, she had see

y pass into her's and Bunting's possession, honestly earned by them no doubt but unattainable-in ac

wnstairs to await M

turn in the door, she c

, and while I was trying to get behind the chiffonnier it tilted. I'm afraid, sir, that a bottle of ink that was inside may have got broken, for jus

ground. She felt far less afraid now than she had felt before he came in. Then she had bee

dea, sir, that you ke

on the defensive, and t

you marking that book of yours-I mean the book you read together with

at once proceed upstairs and see what damage h

five minutes later the d

, and that the shelves were empty save for the bottle of red ink which had

wood, Mrs. Bunting. Perhaps I was i

out on to the carpet, and they don't show, as you see, sir, for

specially if I add a little water, or better still, a little tea, to what already remains in the bottle. I only require it to mark up passages which happen to be of peculi

**

tened to all they had to say about their interesting visit to the Black Museum, and did not snub either of th

d her a question, Mrs. Bunting answered at random. It was cl

hts!" he said jocularly

ive minutes later, came back dressed

look fine, Daisy. I've never

eans that you're expecting someone. I should have thought both of you must have seen enough of young Chandler for one da

ced that her stepmother seemed dazed and unlike herself. She went about her cookin

and, yes, of sick suspense, which shook her soul, and which so far affected her poor, ailing body

r, but as he came in he announced, with a rather rueful smile, that he had read

u, father," said Daisy eagerly

lips when a loud ring and a