It was after dinner that George spoke of Becky's gown.
"It is perfect," he said, "all except the pearls——?"
She gave him a startled glance. "The pearls?"
"I want to see you without them."
She unwound them and they dripped from her hand in milky whiteness.
He made his survey. "That's better," he said, "if they were real it would be different—I don't like to have you cheapened by anything less than—perfect——"
"Cheapened?" She smiled inscrutably, then dropped the pearls into a small box on the table beside her. "Yes," she said, "if they were real it would be different——"
There was something in her manner which made him say hurriedly, "You must not think that I am criticizing your taste. If I had my way you should have everything that money can buy——"
Her candid eyes came up to his. "There are a great many things that money cannot buy."