第79章

Madame Tussaud's had hitherto held pleasant memories for Mrs.Bunting.

In the days when she and Bunting were courting they often spent there part of their afternoon-out.

The butler had an acquaintance, a man named Hopkins, who was one of the waxworks staff, and this man had sometimes given him passes for "self and lady." But this was the first time Mrs.Bunting had been inside the place since she had come to live almost next door, as it were, to the big building.

They walked in silence to the familiar entrance, and then, after the ill-assorted trio had gone up the great staircase and into the first gallery, Mr.Sleuth suddenly stopped short.The presence of those curious, still, waxen figures which suggest so strangely death in life, seemed to surprise and affright him.

Daisy took quick advantage of the lodger's hesitation and unease.

"Oh, Ellen," she cried, "do let us begin by going into the Chamber of Horrors! I've never been in there.Old Aunt made father promise he wouldn't take me the only time I've ever been here.But now that I'm eighteen I can do just as I like; besides, Old Aunt will never know."Mr.Sleuth looked down at her, and a smile passed for a moment over his worn, gaunt face.

"Yes," he said, "let us go into the Chamber of Horrors; that's a good idea, Miss Bunting.I've always wanted to see the Chamber of Horrors."They turned into the great room in which the Napoleonic relics were then kept, and which led into the curious, vault-like chamber where waxen effigies of dead criminals stand grouped in wooden docks.

Mrs.Bunting was at once disturbed and relieved to see her husband's old acquaintance, Mr.Hopkins, in charge of the turnstile admitting the public to the Chamber of Horrors.

"Well, you are a stranger," the man observed genially."I do believe that this is the very first time I've seen you in here, Mrs.Bunting, since you was married!""Yes," she said, "that is so.And this is my husband's daughter, Daisy; I expect you've heard of her, Mr.Hopkins.And this" - she hesitated a moment - "is our lodger, Mr.Sleuth."But Mr.Sleuth frowned and shuffled away.Daisy, leaving her stepmother's side, joined him.

Two, as all the world knows, is company, three is none.Mrs.

Bunting put down three sixpences.

"Wait a minute," said Hopkins; "you can't go into the Chamber of Horrors just yet.But you won't have to wait more than four or five minutes, Mrs.Bunting.It's this way, you see; our boss is in there, showing a party round." He lowered his voice."It's Sir John Burney - I suppose you know who Sir John Burney is?""No," she answered indifferently, "I don't know that I ever heard of him."She felt slightly - oh, very sightly - uneasy about Daisy.She would have liked her stepdaughter to keep well within sight and sound, but Mr.Sleuth was now taking the girl down to the other end of the room.

"Well, I hope you never will know him - not in any personal sense, Mrs.Bunting." The man chuckled."He's the Commissioner of Police - the new one - that's what Sir John Burney is.One of the gentlemen he's showing round our place is the Paris Police boss -whose job is on all fours, so to speak, with Sir John's.The Frenchy has brought his daughter with him, and there are several other ladies.Ladies always likes horrors, Mrs.Bunting; that's our experience here.'Oh, take me to the Chamber of Horrors ' -that's what they say the minute they gets into this here building!"Mrs.Bunting looked at him thoughtfully.It occurred to Mr.Hopkins that she was very wan and tired; she used to look better in the old days, when she was still in service, before Bunting married her.

"Yes," she said; "that's just what my stepdaughter said just now.

'Oh, take me to the Chamber of Horrors' - that's exactly what she did say when we got upstairs."******

A group of people, all talking and laughing together; were advancing, from within the wooden barrier, toward the turnstile.

Mrs.Bunting stared at them nervously.She wondered which of them was the gentleman with whom Mr.Hopkins had hoped she would never be brought into personal contact; she thought she could pick him out among the others.He was a tall, powerful, handsome gentleman, with a military appearance.

Just now he was smiling down into the face of a young lady.

"Monsieur Barberoux is quite right," he was saying in a loud, cheerful voice, "our English law is too kind to the criminal, especially to the murderer.If we conducted our trials in the French fashion, the place we have just left would be very much fuller than it is to-day.A man of whose guilt we are absolutely assured is oftener than not acquitted, and then the public taunt us with 'another undiscovered crime!"'

"D'you mean, Sir John, that murderers sometimes escape scot-free?

Take the man who has been committing all these awful murders this last month? I suppose there's no doubt he'll be hanged - if he's ever caught, that is!"Her girlish voice rang out, and Mrs.Bunting could hear every word that was said.

The whole party gathered round, listening eagerly."Well, no."He spoke very deliberately."I doubt if that particular murderer ever will be hanged.""You mean that you'll never catch him?" the girl spoke with a touch of airy impertinence in her clear voice.

"I think we shall end by catching him - because" - he waited a moment, then added in a lower voice - "now don't give me away to a newspaper fellow, Miss Rose - because now I think we do know who the murderer in question is - "Several of those standing near by uttered expressions of surprise and incredulity.

"Then why don't you catch him?" cried the girl indignantly.

"I didn't say we knew where he was; I only said we knew who he was, or, rather, perhaps I ought to say that I personally have a very strong suspicion of his identity."Sir John's French colleague looked up quickly."De Leipsic and Liverpool man?" he said interrogatively.