The bride appeared at lunch, pale but valiant. Gaunt was standing in the hall as she descended the stairs, and noticed that she leaned her hand upon the rail, and moved as if she were stiff. He decided that there was no doubt that this was a mere piece of humbug. She wished to impress him with an idea of helplessness, under cover of which she was forming some plan of campaign.
She forced herself to eat a little, because he was watching her under his lowered lids. When she had done, and Hemming had left the room, he rose, came to her end of the table, produced from his pocket a handful of gem rings, and tossed them on the table-cloth. "Choose what you like," he said carelessly.
The colour sprang hot to her face. With a dignified gesture she pushed away the jewels and rose to her feet.
"After what you said yesterday, you cannot expect me to take presents from you," said she, making as if to pass from the room.
"Ha!" he stood before her, the light of combat in his eyes. "You decline to take presents from me—good! But you can't decline to do as I order you. I order you to wear two of those rings, one on your left hand and the other on your right. Choose quickly, or I will put them on your finger myself."
She stood, and he could see how hard she found it to fight back words. In fact, she could not but realise that it would be madness to arouse the resentment of the extraordinary being whose motives she was quite unable to fathom; yet she made one effort to brave him.
"I will not choose—I have no choice," said she, not glancing at the rings, but with her eyes on his face.
He turned, scooped up the rings in one hand, laid the other on her arm just above the elbow, and said:
"Come, I will help you to make a selection. There is a little room at the west corner of the house which I think you may like to consider yours. Let me show you."
She went with him unprotesting, and tried to control the shuddering which his grip upon her arm caused her to experience.