“Ruling passion, Meg.”
“No; you’re way off. Here comes the ‘solemn guy.’ Tell him I found it and returned it to you.”
Just then Kingdon drove around the curve.
“Glad to see you again, Miss Pen. I thought you had forsaken us. I see you’ve made Mr. Hebler’s acquaintance. But I must take him away from you for a while.”
As Hebler got into the car, Kurt came up.
“Oh, Mr. Walters, I’m happy to say I have my ring. Meg—Miss Lamont saw it and took it for a joke on me. Sorry I mentioned it.”
A little wave of remorse swept over Pen for a second as she turned to Kurt and saw the look in his eyes when the two men had driven off.
“He seemed to have an air of proprietorship,” he said jealously. “Has he really a legal right to take you away?”
“Looks that way. Mrs. Kingdon thought so. I never could get legal stuff through my head. It was for an offense committed long ago, but not outlawed. There is something I want to say to you. Last night you asked me to marry you. Don’t look so afraid of the cars! I am not going to sue you for breach of promise. I wouldn’t marry the grandest man living unless he loved me supremely—enough, at least, to overlook the stealing of a ring. Kurt,” she added after a pause, “did it occur to you I might have had a reason for stealing that ring? To put you to the test—your love, I mean—before answering you?”
“Pen—”