Page:Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes - The Lodger.djvu/269

Rh But hush!" she added quickly. "Here’s Daisy! Don’t let’s talk of that horror in front of her-like. Besides, I promised Chandler I’d be mum."

And he acquiesced.

"You can be laying the cloth, child, while I go up and clear away the lodger’s breakfast." Without waiting for an answer, she hurried upstairs.

Mr. Sleuth had left the greater part of the nice lemon sole untouched. "I don’t feel well to-day," he said fretfully. "And, Mrs. Bunting? I should be much obliged if your husband would lend me that paper I saw in his hand. I do not often care to look at the public prints, but I should like to do so now."

She flew downstairs. "Bunting," she said a little breathlessly, "the lodger would like you just to lend him the Sun."

Bunting handed it over to her. "I’ve read it through," he observed. "You can tell him that I don’t want it back again."

On her way up she glanced down at the pink sheet. Occupying a third of the space was an irregular drawing, and under it was written, in rather large characters:

She went into the sitting-room. To her relief it was empty.

"Kindly put the paper down on the table," came Mr. Sleuth’s muffled voice from the upper landing.