'At any rate you will oblige me
by--by--by not being troublesome, and putting this little trinket
into your pocket.'
'Never! Nothing on earth shall make me do it.'
At Killancodlem they did not dine till half-past eight. Twilight
was now stealing on these two, who were still out in the garden,
all the others having gone in to dress. She looked round to see
that no other eyes were watching them as she still held the ring.
'It is there,' she said, putting it on the bench between them.
Then she prepared to rise from the seat so that she might leave it
with him.
But he was too quick for her, and was away at a distance before
she had collected her dress. And from a distance he spoke again.
'If you choose that it shall be lost, so be it.'
'You had better take it,' said she, following him slowly. But he
would not turn back;--nor would she. They met again in the hall for
a moment. 'I should be sorry it should be lost,' said he, 'because
it belonged to my great uncle. And I had hoped that I might live
to see it very often.'
'You can fetch it,' she said, as she went to her room.
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