Presently Woburn rose and looked again at his watch.
"I must go and cover up my dress-coat", he said, "and you had better put
on your hat and jacket. We shall have to be starting in half an hour."
As he turned away she laid her hand on his arm.
"You haven't even told me your name," she said.
"No," he answered; "but if you get safely back to Joe you can call me
Providence."
"But how am I to send you the money?"
"Oh--well, I'll write you a line in a day or two and give you my address;
I don't know myself what it will be; I'm a wanderer on the face of the
earth."
"But you must have my name if you mean to write to me."
"Well, what is your name?"
"Ruby Glenn. And I think--I almost think you might send the letter right
to Joe's--send it to the Hinksville station."
"Very well."
"You promise?"
"Of course I promise."
He went back into his room, thinking how appropriate it was that she
should have an absurd name like Ruby. As he re-entered the room, where the
gas sickened in the daylight, it seemed to him that he was returning to
some forgotten land; he had passed, with the last few hours, into a wholly
new phase of consciousness. He put on his fur coat, turning up the collar
and crossing the lapels to hide his white tie. Then he put his cigar-case
in his pocket, turned out the gas, and, picking up his hat and stick,
walked back through the open doorway.
Ruby Glenn had obediently prepared herself for departure and was standing
before the mirror, patting her curls into place.
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