"With this ring I will thee wed: with my body I thee worship; with all my worldly goods I will thee endow, until death us do part: and thus do I plight unto thee my troth."
She knew the slightly altered words were in the English Protestant marriage-service, for she had heard Rose, and some of the other schoolgirls as foolish as Rose was, repeat them in their thoughtless pastime. There was a solemnity in Mr. St. John's voice and manner which imparted an awe to her feelings, never before experienced. The tears of deep emotion rose to her eyes and her frame trembled: she could not have been more strongly moved, had she in very truth been plighting her troth to him before the holy altar.
"Take you care of it, Adeline. Let none remove it from your finger as I removed the other. It shall be your wedding-ring."
"It is not the same ring?" she whispered, unable quite to recover herself. "His."
"His! Look here, Adeline."
He took another ring from his pocket as he spoke. It was cut in two parts; and he threw them into the water.
"There goes his ring, Adeline. May his pretensions go with it!"
"It is for this you have been to Odesque?"
"It is."
They turned to the house, walking quickly now, neither caring for Adeline's absence to be so prolonged as to attract notice. Long as it may have seemed to take in the telling, she had yet been away from the house but a few minutes. Adeline could not quite forget her fears.