“Sapphire’s her favourite stone, and just the colour of her eyes, that wonderful deep blue,” he said. “I bought it weeks back, and have been carrying it around ever since, waiting the opportunity to give it her.”
“You are a dear, Austin, and you won’t have to wait much longer. Take my advice and go straight along to Chelsea now; you’ll catch her before she starts out for church, and you can go with her. I’m coming along later. She’ll see you right enough this time.”
He obeyed with alacrity, and when she had started him off she rang up Winnie. Martha answered, and asked her to “hold the line” while she fetched her mistress. A minute later came Winnie’s fresh young voice.
“That you, Grace, darling? How are you? You’re coming along directly?”
“Yes, in an hour or so, I’ve just had an early visitor—Austin. The poor boy’s awfully upset.”
“Really? Why?” Winnie’s tone had become frigid.
“I think you know well enough, old thing. He’s confided to me that you seem to have given him the frozen mitten!”
A pause. Then, icily:
“I don’t understand the expression; it sounds exceedingly vulgar!”