te and special things about ourselves.
I love you, Celia, but--"

"That would be a lovely thing," she said, clasping her hands eagerly.

"What?"

"'I love you, Celia.'"

I looked at her aghast.

"Do you want me to order that in cold blood from the shopman?"

"He wouldn't mind. Besides, if he saw us together he'd probably know. You
aren't afraid of a goldsmith, are you?"

"I'm not afraid of any goldsmith living--or goldfish either, if it come
to that. But I should prefer to be sentimental in some other language
than plain English. I could order '_Cars sposa_,' or--or '_Spaghetti,'_
or anything like that, without a tremor."

"But of course you shall put just whatever you like. Only--only let it be
original. Not Mizpahs."

"Right," I said.

For three days I wandered past gold and silversmiths with the ring in my
pocket ... and for three days Celia went about without a wedding-ring,
and, for all I know, without even her marriage-lines in her muff. And on
the fourth day I walked boldly in.

"I want," I said, "a wedding-ring engraved," and I felt in my pockets.
"Not initials," I said, and I felt in some more pockets, "but--but--"
I tried the trousers pockets again. "Well, look here, I'll be quite frank
with you. I--er--want--" I fumbled in my ticket-pocket, "I want 'I love
you' on it," and I went through the waistcoat pockets a third time.
"'I--er--love you.'"

"Me?" said the shopman, surprised.

"I love you," I repeated mechanically. "I love you. I love you, I--Well,
look here, perhaps I'd better go back and get the ring."

On the next day I was there again; but there was a different man behind
the counter.

"I want this ring engraved," I said.

"Certainly. What shall we put?"

I had felt the question coming. I had a sort of instinct that he would
ask me that. But I couldn't get the words out again.

"Well," I hesitated, "I--er--well."

"Ladies often like the date put in. When is it to be?"

"When is what to be?"

"The wedding," he smiled.

"It has been," I said. "It's all over. You're too late for it."

I gave myself up to thought. At all costs I must be original. There must
be something on Celia's wedding-ring that had never been in any
other's....

There was only one thing I could think of.

* * * * *

The engraved ring arrived as we were at tea a few days later, and I had a
sudden overwhelming fear that Celia would not be pleased. I saw that I
must explai