# The Arrival of the Lodger explained — The Lodger > Chapter companion for The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes. ## What happens Mrs. Bunting, nervous and in the dark, answers a hesitant double knock at the door. She finds a tall, gaunt man in an Inverness cape and top hat, who introduces himself as Mr. Sleuth and seeks lodgings. Despite initial misgivings, she shows him the rooms; he is particularly drawn to the top-floor rooms with a gas stove and sink, which he says suit his scientific experiments. He agrees to take them, paying a month in advance, and his eccentric, anxious manner both unsettles and relieves the Buntings. ## Themes in this chapter ### Fear and Suspicion Mrs. Bunting's nervousness at the door, the stranger's sharp reaction to the open door and Bunting's cough, and his anxious concern for his bag all underscore a pervasive atmosphere of mistrust and unease. ### Appearance vs. Reality The stranger appears as a gentleman but behaves oddly; the top-floor rooms look bare and mean to Mrs. Bunting but delight Mr. Sleuth, hinting at hidden purposes. ### Poverty and Social Insecurity Mrs. Bunting's relief at the prospect of a lodger and her worry about rent reflect the Buntings' precarious financial situation. ## Character check-ins ### Mrs. Bunting Nervous and cautious, she opens the door to the stranger and shows him the rooms, feeling both hope and unease. ### Mr. Sleuth A tall, lanky man in an Inverness cape and top hat, he speaks in a shrill, hesitant voice, is anxious about the front door being open, and shows great interest in the top-floor rooms with a gas stove. ### Mr. Bunting Absorbed in his newspaper, he remains in the sitting-room while Mrs. Bunting handles the caller; his cough startles the stranger. ## Key lines > Mrs. Bunting jumped nervously to her feet. She stood for a moment listening in the darkness, a darkness made the blacker by the line of light under the door behind which sat Bunting reading his paper. Mrs. Bunting sprang up anxiously and paused in the dark, which seemed even darker because of the light from the room where her husband was reading. _Sets the tense, uncertain mood as she awaits the knock._ > Would-be lodgers gave sharp, quick, bold, confident raps. No; this must be some kind of beggar. People looking for rooms knocked sharply and confidently, but this knock was different—it sounded like a beggar. _Reveals Mrs. Bunting's experience with callers and her immediate suspicion._ > Is it not a fact that you let lodgings? he asked, and there was something shrill, unbalanced, hesitating, in his voice. He asked if she rented rooms, his voice high-pitched and uncertain. _Introduces the stranger's peculiar, nervous manner._ > It's not safe to leave a front door open in London, he said, rather sharply. I hope you do not often do that. It would be so easy for anyone to slip in. He warned her sharply that leaving the front door open in London was dangerous, as anyone could enter unnoticed. _Shows the lodger's intense concern for security, hinting at paranoia or a hidden agenda._ > This room is exactly what I have been looking for, and longing for, the last few days; and then hastily he added, I mean this kind of place is what I have always wanted to possess, Mrs. Bunting. He declared the top room was precisely what he had sought, then quickly corrected himself to say it was the type of place he had always wanted. _Reveals his excitement about the room's features, especially the gas stove and sink, and his slip of the tongue._ > My name is Sleuth, he said suddenly— S - l - e - u - t - h . Think of a hound, Mrs. Bunting, and you'll never forget my name. He introduced himself as Sleuth, spelling it out and telling her to remember it by thinking of a hunting dog. _The name 'Sleuth' (meaning detective or tracker) is ironic and ominous, given the unfolding mystery._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lodger_se/chapters/ii - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lodger_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lodger_se/chapters