t I thought I'd just leave nothing undone to
make you give way. I made sure I was beaten. I made sure I should have
to knuckle under. And now you are goose enough to toss, and you've lost,
you've lost! Hurrah!" She clapped her hands softly.

"Do ye mean to tell me," Jimmy thundered, "as ye've been playing a game
wi' me all this time?"

"Of course." She had no shame.

"And bought th' steamer-ticket without meaning to go?"

"Well," she said, "it's no good half-playing when you're playing for
high stakes. Besides, what's fifteen pounds?"

He did not let her into the secret that he also had ordered the luggage
to be labelled for Crewe. They returned to the Five Towns the following
morning. And by mutual tacit agreement they never spoke of that
excursion to Scotland.

In such manner came Helen Rathbone to be the mistress of Wilbraham Hall.

CHAPTER XX

THE FLITTING

Before the spacious crimson facade of Wilbraham Hall upon an autumn day
stood Mr. Crump's pantechnicon. That is to say, it was a pantechnicon
only by courtesy--Mr. Crump's courtesy. In strict adherence to truth it
was just a common furniture-removing van, dragged over the earth's
surface by two horses. On the outer walls of it were an announcement
that Mr. Crump removed goods by road, rail or steamer, and vast coloured
pictures of Mr. Crump removing goods by road, rail and steamer. One saw
the van in situations of grave danger--travelling on an express train
over a lofty viaduct at sixty miles an hour, or rolling on the deck of a
steamer in a stormy sea. One saw it also in situations of impressive
natural beauty--as, for instance, passing by road through terrific
mountain defiles, where cataracts rushed and foamed. The historic fact
was that the van had never been beyond the Five Towns. Nevertheless, Mr.
Crump bound himself in painted letters six inches high to furnish
estimates for any removal whatsoever; and, what is more, as a special
boon to the Five Towns, to furnish estimates free of charge. In
this detail Mr. Crump had determined not to lag behind his
fellow-furniture-removers, who, one and all, persist in refusing to
accept even a small fee for telling you how much they demand for their
services.

In the van were the entire worldly possessions of James Ollerenshaw
(except his houses, his investments, a set of bowls up at the bowling
club, and the clothes he wore), and the entire worldly possessions of
Helen Rathbone (except the clothe