"Not especially. I thought you were a very good fellow. I have always thought that;—except when you made me take back the ring."
"Does that still fret you?"
"No man likes to take back a thing. It makes him seem to have been awkward and stupid in giving it."
"It was the value—"
"You should have left me to judge of that."
"If I have offended you I will beg your pardon. Give me anything else, anything but that, and I will take it."
"But why not that?" said he.
"Now that you have fitted it for a lady's finger it should go to your wife. No one else should have it."
Upon this he brought the ring once more out of his pocket and again offered it to her. "No; anything but that. That your wife must have." Then he put the ring back again. "It would have been nicer for you had Miss Boncassen been here." In saying this she followed no plan. It came rather from pique. It was almost as though she had asked him whether Miss Boncassen was to have the ring.
"What makes you say that?"