There came a really comic tale, which hugely interested and delighted Chandler.  This was of how Aunt Margaret’s lady had been taken in by an impostor—­an impostor who had come up, just as she was stepping out of her carriage, and pretended to have a fit on the doorstep.  Aunt Margaret’s lady, being a soft one, had insisted on the man coming into the hall, where he had been given all kinds of restoratives.  When the man had at last gone off, it was found that he had “wolfed” young master’s best walking-stick, one with a fine tortoise-shell top to it.  Thus had Aunt Margaret proved to her lady that the man had been shamming, and her lady had been very angry—­ near had a fit herself!

“There’s a lot of that about,” said Chandler, laughing.  “Incorrigible rogues and vagabonds—­that’s what those sort of people are!”

And then he, in his turn, told an elaborate tale of an exceptionally clever swindler whom he himself had brought to book.  He was very proud of that job, it had formed a white stone in his career as a detective.  And even Mrs. Bunting was quite interested to hear about it.

Chandler was still sitting there when Mr. Sleuth’s bell rang.  For awhile no one stirred; then Bunting looked questioningly at his wife.

“Did you hear that?” he said.  “I think, Ellen, that was the lodger’s bell.”

She got up, without alacrity, and went upstairs.

“I rang,” said Mr. Sleuth weakly, “to tell you I don’t require any supper to-night, Mrs. Bunting.  Only a glass of milk, with a lump of sugar in it.  That is all I require—­nothing more.  I feel very very far from well”—­and he had a hunted, plaintive expression on his face.  “And then I thought your husband would like his paper back again, Mrs. Bunting.”

Mrs. Bunting, looking at him fixedly, with a sad intensity of gaze of which she was quite unconscious, answered, “Oh, no, sir!  Bunting don’t require that paper now.  He read it all through.”  Something impelled her to add, ruthlessly, “He’s got another paper by now, sir.  You may have heard them come shouting outside.  Would you like me to bring you up that other paper, sir?”

And Mr. Sleuth shook his head.  “No,” he said querulously.  “I much regret now having asked for the one paper I did read, for it disturbed me, Mrs. Bunting.  There was nothing of any value in it—­ there never is in any public print.  I gave up reading newspapers years ago, and I much regret that I broke though my rule to-day.”

As if to indicate to her that he did not wish for any more conversation, the lodger then did what he had never done before in his landlady’s presence.  He went over to the fireplace and deliberately turned his back on her.

She went down and brought up the glass of milk and the lump of sugar he had asked for.

Now he was in his usual place, sitting at the table, studying the Book.

When Mrs. Bunting went back to the others they were chatting merrily.  She did not notice that the merriment was confined to the two young people.