'Indeed!'
'Well?'
'The very reason, if true, that we should wish to be no more to each other,' replied Ellinor, with some annoyance, remembering certain angry and bitter speeches of Robert's when last they met and parted, and some of his dark looks within the last hour.
Sir Redmond was radiant at this response. She drew on her gloves, and was about to rise, when he detained her, and, drawing her suddenly towards him, boldly kissed her, not once, but twice!
She grew very pale, and drew back, and felt as if about to weep.
'Why do you shrink from me, Ellinor?' he asked, with tenderness, while detaining her hands.
'I do not shrink; but—but all this has been so sudden.'
'Listen to me, dearest—dearest Ellinor. With all your artistic tastes, you must of course appreciate pretty things?'
'I do,' she replied, tremblingly, not knowing what was coming next.
'Do you admire this?' he asked, drawing from a pocket and unclasping a scarlet morocco case, on the blue satin lining of which there reposed a necklace of virgin gold, with a locket attached, studded with coral and diamonds, both miracles of the jeweller's art.