She had picked up her gloves and was drawing them smoothly on, when Mrs. Hammond noticed the left hand was ringless.
"Why, my dear, where is your ring?"
"Why, you didn't suppose, did you, that I was going to continue my engagement to Jerry Hammond after what he told me?"
"But our purpose in coming here——"
"My purpose was to make sure that if I were not to have Jerry neither should she—that Japanese doll!" All the bottled-up venom of the girl's nature came forth in that single utterance. "Do let us get away. Really I'm bored to extinction."
"You may go any time you choose, Miss Falconer," said Jerry Hammond's mother. "I shall stay here till my son returns."
It was less than half an hour later that Jerry burst into the studio. He came in with a rush, hurrying across the big room toward the kitchen and calling aloud:
"Sunny! Hi! Sunny! I'm back!"