It was the conventional single diamond, set in platinum, a stone so pure
and beautiful and of such a size that Frances almost gasped. Her face
showed no pleasure at first, nothing but blank dismay. She barely
stopped herself in time from saying:
“But oh, how terribly expensive!”
He put it on her finger, and she smiled in duty bound. But secretly it
terrified her. It was so much too splendid. Perhaps she had a
premonition that it was an unlucky ring----
Lionel was disappointed. He looked into Frankie’s face as they sat in
the taxi, and waited for her to praise it.
“Don’t you like it?” he asked, at last, as she said nothing.
“Oh, yes, dear,” she answered, touched by his wistful tone, and, as she
very rarely did, kissed him. “It’s beautiful. _Too_ beautiful!”