"I see, aunt, you have no idea of the cost of diamond rings! You may believe me or not, but that ring cost six hundred and fifty dollars."
"What!" almost screamed Aunt Deborah, letting fall her knitting in her surprise.
"It's true."
"Six hundred and fifty dollars for a little piece of gold and glass!" ejaculated the old lady.
"Diamond, aunt, not glass."
"Well, it don't look a bit better'n glass, and I do say," proceeded
Deborah, with energy, "that it's a sin and a shame to pay so much
money for a ring. Why, it was more than half your year's salary,
Ferdinand."
"I agree with you, aunt; it would have been very foolish and wrong for a young man on a small salary like mine to buy so expensive a ring as this. I hope, Aunt Deborah, I have inherited too much of your good sense to do that."
"Then where did you get it?" asked the old lady, moderating her tone.
"It was given to me."
"Given to you! Who would give you such a costly present?"