ut you. It rather
fascinates me...."

"You raise me to vertiginous heights," said Amaldi in the same tone.

"Oh, come off!" retorted Belinda with her joyous grin.

Sophy was talking with Mrs. Horton and paid no attention to this
murmured dialogue, but Loring's eyes were fixed angrily upon them, as he
sat smoking on one of the cushioned window-sills.

All at once Belinda put out her hand and touched the sapphire that
Amaldi wore--then held up her finger.

"Lend it to me...." she said. "I've fallen in love with it."

Amaldi flushed. The ring had been his mother's. She had put it on his
finger herself the day that he was twenty.

"Well?" laughed Belinda. "What are you afraid of? I'm not proposing to
you.... I shan't steal it...."

There was no other course left him. Amaldi drew off the ring in silence
and held it towards her. He did not offer to put it on her finger.

"'Fraid-cat!" she mocked. She snatched it from him and slipped it on
herself. The ring that had fitted Amaldi's little finger fitted her
third finger perfectly.

She gazed delighted at the carved sapphire against her white, velvety
skin. Then she jumped up and danced away, holding up her hand before
her, and chanting:

"'What I take--I keep!' 'What I take--I keep!'-- You'll whistle long and
loud before you get this beauty back, Amaldi!"

Amaldi was rather pale, but smiling. He said nothing. Mrs. Horton called
sharply:

"What on earth are you about, Linda?-- What are you making such a noise
for?"

"Oh, nothing ... just a little game I've been playing with Amaldi."

"Well do be quieter ... you're really _too_ noisy."

She went back to her talk with Sophy. But though Sophy listened, her
eyes followed Belinda.

Loring got down from his seat on the window-sill, and sauntered forward.
He met Belinda in the middle of the room.

"Go and give that ring back," he said in a low voice.

"Not much!" laughed Belinda.

"Yes, you will."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"You'll make me, I suppose?"

"Yes-- I will."

"Pouf! Just try it...."

She pirouetted insolently, and he caught her by one arm. Then began a
most astonishing scuffle. Belinda escaped, and rushed to the farthest
end of the room. Morris bounded after her--caught her again. She turned
and twisted in his grasp. Her red-brown mane came down; she struck at
him, tried to bite his hand where it gripped her.

Amaldi sat like an image watching this, to him, appalling game of romps.