"And you, Ann, you dear thing, I bought you—guess what? But you never could! I bought you a gold watch, the very best I could find, and he bought you a chain for it, a long one to go around your dear neck, set with diamonds and rubies, I mean the chain is—it's the cutest thing, Ann! You remember you used to dream of a gold chain set with real diamonds, some day? Well, 'some day's' to-day, Ann."
"But—oh, Hermy, I—I—"
"He wants to give it you himself, because he says you're the best friend he ever had and—oh, here he is! You did say so, didn't you, Geoffrey?"
"And I surely mean it!" answered Ravenslee, tossing his driving gauntlets into a chair, "though you certainly threw cold water upon my peanut barrow, didn't you, Mrs. Trapes?"
"Oh, Geoffrey, dear, do give her that precious package; I'm dying to see her open it!"
So Ravenslee drew the jeweller's neat parcel from his pocket and put it into Mrs. Trapes's toil-worn hand. For a moment her bony fingers clutched it, then she sighed tremulously and, placing it on the table, rose and stood staring down at it. When at last she spoke, her voice was harsher than usual.
"Hermy, dear—I mean Mrs. Ravenslee, ma'am, I—can't—take 'em!"
"But, dear—why not?"
"Because they're coals o' fire."
"But you must take them, dear; we bought them for you and—"