Then he met Mrs
Cotterill coming out of a shop. Mrs Cotterill, owing to a strange hazard
of fate, began talking at once. And Denry, as an old shorthand writer,
instinctively calculated that not Thomas Allen Reed himself could have
taken Mrs Cotterill down verbatim. Her face tried to express pain, but
pleasure shone out of it. For she found herself in an exciting
contretemps which she could understand.
"Oh, Mr Machin," she said, "what _do_ you think's happened? I don't
know how to tell you, I'm sure. Here you've arranged for that dinner
to-morrow and it's all settled, and now Miss Earp telegraphs to our
Nellie to say she's coming to-morrow for a day or two with us. You know
Ruth and Nellie are _such_ friends. It's like as if what must be,
isn't it? I don't know what to do, I do declare. What _ever_ will
Ruth say at us leaving her all alone the first night she comes? I really
do think she might have----"
"You must bring her along with you," said Denry.
"But won't you--shan't you--won't she--won't it----"
"Not at all," said Denry. "Speaking for myself, I shall be delighted."
"Well, I'm sure you're very sensible," said Mrs Cotterill.
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