Page:Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes - The Lodger.djvu/102

Rh And then Daisy's look answered quite as plainly, though perhaps Joe didn't read her glance quite as clearly as she had read his: "Yes, it is tiresome. But father means well; and 'twill be very pleasant going there, even if he does come too."

"Well, what d’you say to the day after to-morrow, Mr. Bunting? I’d call for you here about—shall we say half-past two?—and just take you and Miss Daisy down to the Yard. ’Twouldn’t take very long; we could go all the way by bus, right down to Westminster Bridge." He looked round at his hostess: "Wouldn’t you join us, Mrs. Bunting? ’Tis truly a wonderful interesting place."

But his hostess shook her head decidedly. "’Twould turn me sick," she exclaimed, "to see the bottle of poison what had done away with the life of some poor creature! And as for knives!" a look of real horror, of startled fear, crept over her pale face.

"There, there!" said Bunting hastily. "Live and let live—that’s what I always say. Ellen ain’t on in this turn. She can just stay at home and mind the cat—I beg his pardon, I mean the lodger!"

"I won’t have Mr. Sleuth laughed at," said Mrs. Bunting darkly. "But there! I’m sure it’s very kind of you, Joe, to think of giving Bunting and Daisy such a rare treat"—she spoke sarcastically, but none of the three who heard her understood that.