Without ruth

     "Did you notice him at dinner?"

    "To which aspect of his demeanour during the meal does your lordship allude?"

    "I was thinking of the sinister way he tucked into the roast duck. He flung himself on it like a tiger on its prey. He gave me the impression of a man without ruth or pity."

(From Ring For Jeeves, by Sir Pelham Wodehouse. We seldom see the word "ruth" used in American English. Almost always it is attached to "-less" to indicate an absence of the quality.)