The last two sentences were the outcome of genuine affection on Sybil’s part. She was honestly devoted to her big husband. And though at times she would have preferred him to be a little less literal, his strength and assurance of purpose, as already mentioned, appealed to her enormously.
Her last two sentences, in fact her whole speech, pleased Luke. He patted her hand and looked at her with tender eyes. He loved her from the very bottom of his extremely truthful heart. He had placed her carefully on a little pedestal of his own building, and her first remark had distressed him, as it had caused her to sway a trifle unsteadily on the same pedestal.
As soon as they had finished lunch he returned to his fishing, and she strolled across some fields to a little pond in a bit of heathery moorland, where she found some sundew and a bog violet.
It was nearly seven o’clock before they went back to the little white cottage in the small village. They found that the evening post had come in, and with it a couple of letters and a London paper.
“Wonder why this has been sent?” asked Luke, opening it. “We’ve been eschewing London papers since we’ve been up here. The ‘Yorkshire Post’ is quite good enough on a holiday.” He turned the pages. “Oh, it’s Talbot’s wedding”—Talbot had been his best man. “Ah, well, that kind of rigmarole will interest you far more than me. I’ve no use for other people’s weddings. I’m quite satisfied with my own. Eh! little girl?”
Sybil laughed, returned his kiss, and went upstairs to take off her hat.
Later in the evening she took up the paper, and because she had nothing else to read she studied the pages rather carefully. Suddenly an advertisement caught her eye. She read it slowly, then put down the paper. It told her that her ring had been found, and that she could get it by applying at a certain address.
For a moment she decided that she would take no notice of the advertisement. Then it occurred to her that there might be the smallest element of risk in leaving the ring in other hands. It was certainly unique, and once seen not likely to be forgotten. No doubt other people had seen and observed it long before it had come into her hands—people who had known its previous owner.
They were going back to London to-morrow. If Luke saw the advertisement he would at once recognize it as a description of the ring she had worn. She had told him that Cecily had given it to her. He had mentioned it once to Cecily as her gift to Sybil. Sybil remembered the tiny trace of scorn in Cecily’s eyes at the lie, though she had not contradicted the statement.
If Luke saw the advertisement he would promptly go and fetch the ring for her, and then there was no knowing whether he would not learn something of its previous history. She knew it was ridiculous to imagine such a thing, and yet she felt that she dared run no tiniest risk.