The Lodger · Chapter
XXIII explained
Mrs.
What happens
Mrs. Bunting tends to the lodger, who is unwell and refuses supper. Daisy and Joe Chandler joke about the lodger's Bible-reading, but Mrs. Bunting rebukes them. Later, Joe returns in disguise after investigating a lead, revealing the Avenger's latest murder on Primrose Hill. Bunting, now deeply troubled, buys a newspaper and sees the rubber sole clue, which heightens his suspicion and fear.
Themes in this chapter
Fear and Suspicion
Bunting's trembling hand and sinking feeling as he reads the rubber sole clue, and Mrs. Bunting's obliviousness to her husband's growing suspicion, highlight the pervasive fear and mistrust within the household.
Complicity and Moral Ambiguity
Mrs. Bunting's secret burden and her sharp defense of the lodger, combined with Bunting's silent dread, show how both are complicit in protecting the lodger despite mounting evidence.
Characters to notice
- Mrs. Bunting
Attends to the lodger, rebukes Daisy and Joe for laughing at Bible-reading, and remains oblivious that Bunting shares her secret.
- Mr. Sleuth
Appears weak and agitated, refuses supper, asks for milk with sugar, and turns his back on Mrs. Bunting after expressing regret over reading the newspaper.
- Daisy
Teases about the lodger, claps her hands at the Avenger news, and notices Bunting's unusual demeanor.
- Joe Chandler
Returns in disguise after a failed lead, reports the Primrose Hill murder, and is rebuked by Mrs. Bunting for laughing.
- Mr. Bunting
Grows quiet and cold, questions Joe about the murder location, buys a newspaper, and is alarmed by the rubber sole clue.
Key passages
“I rang to tell you I don't require any supper tonight, 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”
The lodger informs Mrs. Bunting he is unwell and only wants a glass of milk with sugar, refusing any supper.
Mr. Sleuth's weakness and agitation are evident, and he avoids further conversation by turning his back.
“Primrose Hill. You'll know all about it in a minute or two, for it'll be all in the last editions of the evening papers.”
Joe Chandler reveals that the latest Avenger murder occurred on Primrose Hill and will be reported in the evening papers.
This confirms the Avenger's ninth crime and provides a new location, intensifying the family's anxiety.
“Again and again criminals had been tracked by the marks their boots or shoes had made at or near the scenes of their misdoings.”
Bunting recalls that footprints have often led to the capture of criminals, as he stares at the rubber sole clue in the newspaper.
This thought connects the clue directly to the lodger's boots, deepening Bunting's fear and suspicion.