er own
way. "But you will send for it, won't you, and have it put on his
dressing-table to-night?" When he went to bed Lord Silverbridge found
it on his table.

But before that time came he had twice danced with Miss Boncassen,
Lady Mabel having refused to dance with him. "No," she said, "I am
angry with you. You ought to have felt that it did not become you as
a gentleman to subject me to inconvenience by throwing upon me the
charge of that diamond. You may be foolish enough to be indifferent
about its value, but as you have mixed me up with it I cannot afford
to have it lost."

"It is yours."

"No, sir; it is not mine, nor will it ever be mine. But I wish you to
understand that you have offended me."

This made him so unhappy for the time that he almost told the story
to Miss Boncassen. "If I were to give you a ring," he said, "would
not you accept it?"

"What a question!"

"What I mean is, don't you think all those conventional rules about
men and women are absurd?"

"As a progressive American, of course I am bound to think all
conventional rules are an abomination."

"If you had a brother and I gave him a stick he'd take it."

"Not across his back, I hope."

"Or if I gave your father a book?"

"He'd take books to any extent, I should say."

"And why not you a ring?"

"Who said I wouldn't? But after all this you mustn't try me."

"I was not thinking of it."

"I'm so glad of that! Well;--if you'll promise that you'll never
offer me one, I'll promise that I'll take it when it comes. But what
does all this mean?"

"It is not worth talking about."

"You have offered somebody a ring, and somebody hasn't taken it. May
I guess?"

"I had rather you did not."

"I could, you know."

"Never mind about that. Now come and have a turn. I am bound not to
give you a ring; but you are bound to accept anything else I may
offer."

"No, Lord Silverbridge;--not at all. Nevertheless we'll have a turn."

That night before he went up to his room he had told Isabel Boncassen
that he loved her. And when he spoke he was telling her the truth.
It had seemed to him that Mabel had become hard to him, and had over
and over again rejected the approaches to tenderness which he had
attempted to make in his intercourse with her. Even though she were
to accept him, what would that be worth to him if she did not love
him? So many things had been added together! Why had Tregear gone to
Grex, and having gone there why had