The Lodger · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes.

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Chapter 1
Epigraph
The chapter opens with a biblical epigraph from Psalm 88:18, foreshadowing themes of isolation, loss, and abandonment.
Chapter 2
The Lodger
The Buntings, facing financial ruin, take in a mysterious lodger named Mr. Sleuth, whose peculiar habits and nighttime wanderings soon arouse suspicion. Meanwhile, a series of murders by a figure known as 'The Avenger' terrorizes London, and the household becomes entangled in fear and moral ambiguity.
Chapter 3
I
Mr. and Mrs. Bunting sit in their carefully maintained sitting-room, which outwardly projects an image of respectability and comfort. In reality, they are on the brink of financial ruin, having sold or pawned most of their valuables. Their only remaining friend is Joe Chandler, a young detective who has lent them money. As they struggle with hunger and cold, the evening newspaper boys cry out news of the latest Avenger murder, adding to their unease.
Chapter 4
The Arrival of the Lodger
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.
Chapter 5
Chapter III
Mrs. Bunting attends to the lodger's peculiar requests, including turning pictures to the wall and borrowing a Bible. She recalls a similar incident from her youth, which reassures her. Mr. Sleuth reads aloud from the Bible, unsettling her with his choice of verses.

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Epigraph

The Lodger

I

The Arrival of the Lodger

Chapter III