"Take his ring off!"
She looked up at him with an amused little smile, but did not move. He reached for the hand, and she put it behind her.
"Take it off," he said, harshly.
He forced her hand out, took off the ring with its gleaming stone, none too gently, and laid it on the table behind him. Then he covered the hand with kisses.
"Now it's my hand. Perhaps there was a little of both those feelings you accuse me of—perhaps I did want to triumph over both you and Shepler—and the other people who said you'd never marry for anything but money—but do you think I'd have had either one of those desires if I hadn't loved you? Do you think I'd have cared how many Sheplers you married if I hadn't loved you so, night and day?—always turning to you in spite of everything,—loving you always, under everything—always, I tell you."
"Under what—what 'everything'?"
"When I was sure you had no heart—that you couldn't care for any man except a rich man—that you would marry only for money."
"You thought that?"
"Of course I thought it."
"What has changed you?"