"You do not laugh at my ignorance, Mr. Valchester—then I may dare to ask you a favor."
As she spoke she drew a ring from her finger, and held it out to him.
"Will you translate for me the French words in this ring?" she said.
Many times afterward she wondered what had given her such courage to ask Ronald Valchester this question; she had always been too timid to ask anyone before.
The student took the ring and held it up to the light of the lamp that swung in the tree above their heads.
The diamond flashed and sparkled in the antique dead-gold setting. He read out aloud:
"'Sans peur et sans reproche.' It is a French motto, Miss Meredith. It simply means, 'without fear and without reproach.'"
"Oh! what beautiful words," she cried. "Thank you, Mr. Valchester, very much. All my life I have wanted to know what those words in mamma's ring meant."
"Anyone, almost, could have told you," he replied, as he handed it back to her. "Did you never ask anyone?"
"No, I was ashamed to confess such pitiable ignorance," she answered, frankly. "You see, Mr. Valchester, my mother was French, and it seemed so odd that I should be ignorant of her mother-tongue."