y, "I don't know anything about him, except that he owns
some property and I'm in charge of it. Stay," he corrected himself, "I
think I do remember crossing his name off your programme once."

And he said to himself: "That's one for her. If she likes to be so
desperately funny about postage-stamps, I don't see why I shouldn't have
my turn." The recollection that it was precisely Herbert Calvert whom he
had supplanted in the supper-dance at the Countess of Chell's historic
ball somehow increased his confidence in his ability to manage the
interview with brilliance.

Ruth's voice grew severe and chilly. It seemed incredible that she had
just been laughing.

"I will tell you about Mr Herbert Calvert;" she enunciated her words
with slow, stern clearness. "Mr Herbert Calvert took advantage of his
visits here for his rent to pay his attentions to me. At one time he was
so far--well--gone, that he would scarcely take his rent."

"Really!" murmured Denry, genuinely staggered by this symptom of the
distance to which Mr Herbert Calvert was once "gone."

"Yes," said Ruth, still sternly and inimically. "Naturally a woman can't
make up her mind about these things all of a sudden," she continued.
"Naturally!" she repeated.

"Of course," Denry agreed, perceiving that his experience of life, and
deep knowledge of human nature were being appealed to.

"And when I did decide definitely, Mr Herbert Calvert did not behave
like a gentleman. He forgot what was due to himself and to me. I won't
describe to you the scene he made. I'm simply telling you this, so that
you may know. To cut a long story short, he behaved in a very vulgar
way. And a woman doesn't forget these things, Mr Machin." Her eyes
threatened him. "I decided to punish Mr Herbert Calvert. I thought if he
wouldn't take his rent before--well, let him wait for it now! I might
have given him notice to leave. But I didn't. I didn't see why I should
let myself be upset because Mr Herbert Calvert had forgotten that he was
a gentleman. I said, 'Let him wait for his rent,' and I promised myself
I would just see what he would dare to do."

"I don't quite follow your argument," Denry put in.

"Perhaps you don't," she silenced him. "I didn't expect you would. You
and Mr Herbert Calvert...! So he didn't dare to do anything himself, and
he's paying you to do his dirty work for him! Very well! Very well!..."
She lifted her head defiantly. "What will happen if I don't pay the
rent?"