Of its strange escapade Denry had been the
sole witness.
"Well, I'm dashed!" he murmured aloud.
And a voice replied from the belly of the pantechnicon:
"Who is there?"
All Denry's body shook.
"It's me!" said he.
"Not Mr Machin?" said the voice.
"Yes," said he. "I jumped on as it came down the street--and here we
are!"
"Oh!" cried the voice. "I do wish you could get round to me."
Ruth Earp's voice.
He saw the truth in a moment of piercing insight. Ruth had been playing
with him! She had performed a comedy for him in two acts. She had meant
to do what is called in the Five Towns "a moonlight flit." The
pantechnicon (doubtless from Birmingham, where her father was) had been
brought to her door late in the evening, and was to have been filled and
taken away during the night. The horses had been stabled, probably in
Ruth's own yard, and while the carmen were reposing the pantechnicon had
got off, Ruth in it. She had no money locked in her unlockable desk. Her
reason for not having paid the precious Mr Herbert Calvert was not the
reason which she had advanced.
His first staggered thought was:
"She's got a nerve! No mistake!"
Her duplicity, her wickedness, did not shock him.
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