Class and Respectability

The Buntings, as former servants, cling to middle-class markers like good furniture and cleanliness, while the lodger is identified as a 'gentleman' by his manner, yet class distinctions blur as both the respectable and the criminal inhabit the same domestic space.

Their former lives in service and their efforts to maintain a respectable front highlight the importance of class standing and the fear of falling into the 'submerged multitude.'

Bunting's primary fear is that involvement with the police will ruin his and Ellen's chance at a 'good joint situation,' reflecting the precarious social standing of their class.