She gazed at it in surprise. "You part with it now?" she asked, with
wonder in her accents. "I do not understand!"
He kissed her. "No? I will explain again, Thelma!--and you shall not
laugh at me as you did the very first time I saw you! I resolved never
to part with this ring, I say, except to--my promised wife. _Now_ do you
understand?"
She blushed deeply, and her eyes dropped before his ardent gaze.
"I do thank you very much, Philip,"--she faltered timidly,--she was
about to say something further when suddenly Lorimer entered the saloon.
He glanced from Errington to Thelma, and from Thelma back again to
Errington,--and smiled. So have certain brave soldiers been known to
smile in face of a death-shot. He advanced with his usual languid step
and nonchalant air, and removing his cap, bowed gravely and courteously.
"Let me be the first to offer my congratulations to the future Lady
Errington! Phil, old man! . . . I wish you joy!"
CHAPTER XV.
"Why, sir, in the universal game of double-dealing, shall not the
cleverest tricksters play each other false by haphazard, and so
betray their closest secrets, to their own and their friends'
infinite amazement?"--CONGREVE.
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