“Oh! if you wish it, Mr Thickens, of course I will,” she said eagerly.
“That’s right; I do wish it. May I buy them for you?”
“Oh, certainly, Mr Thickens.”
“All right, ma’am, then I will. Now I must get home and feed my fishes. Good evening.”
He caught up his hat, shook hands, and was gone before his hostess had recovered from her surprise and chagrin.
“But never mind,” she said, rubbing her hands and making two rings click.
The contact of those two rings made her gaze down and then take and fondle one particular finger, while, in spite of the abruptness of her visitor, she gazed down dreamily at that finger, and sighed as she sank into a reverie full of golden dreams.
“So odd and peculiar,” she sighed; “but so different to any one else I ever knew; and, ah me! how shocking it all is: so many people must have seen him come.”