'Oh,' said I; and looked at him thoughtfully.
'Yes,' said he, trying to meet my look with an equal calm, but conspicuously failing. 'That bein' so,' he went on hurriedly, 'and my droppin', so to speak, into the middle of somebody's Christmas tree and that, it seems to me only decent to give the little girl somethin'. What shall I get her? Somethin' to put on, I suppose. A brooch, or a pin, what?'
'Or a ring,' said I, thoughtfully peeling.
'A ring? What, can one—oh I say, don't let's waste time rottin'—'
And glancing up through cautious eyelashes I saw he was very red.
'It'd be easy enough if it was you,' he said revengefully.
'What would?'
'Hittin' on what you'd like.'
'Would it?'
'All you'd want to do the trick would be a dictionary.'