She lifted her face then, quivering and irresolute, to his. "And I can give you—nothing," she said.
He took her lightly by the shoulders, as one who caresses a child. "Ma chérie, you have given me already much more than you realize. But we will not go into that now. We will go to the shops. Afterwards, we will go out to Fontainebleau and picnic in the forest. You will like that?"
"Oh, so much!" she said, with enthusiasm.
Yet there was a puzzled look of pain in her eyes as she turned away, and though she wore his pearls, she made no further reference to them.
They went forth into the streets of Paris and Toby shopped. At first she was shy, halting here and hesitating there, till Saltash, looking on, careless and debonair, made it abundantly evident that whatever she desired she was to have, and then like a child on a holiday she flung aside all indecision and became eager and animated. So absorbed was she that she took no note of the passage of time and was horrified when at length he called her attention to the fact that it was close upon the luncheon-hour.
"And you must be so tired of it all!" she said, with compunction.
"Not in the least," he assured her airily between puffs of his cigarette.
"It has been—a new experience for me."
Her eyes challenged him for a moment, and he laughed.
"Mais oui, madame! I protest—a new experience. I feel I am doing my duty."
"And it doesn't bore you?" questioned Toby, with a tilt of the chin.