ction.

Bettina curled herself up on the foot of Diana's bed. "Well, in the
first place," she said, "Anthony gave me a ring--a lovely ring, and a
little guard to wear with it."

Diana did not flinch. "And why aren't you wearing your lovely ring," she
asked, "for all the world to see?"

"Oh, but you said I mustn't," Bettina told her, "and so I keep it here."

She tugged at a slender chain which hung around her neck, and brought
forth from beneath the embroidered thinness of her gown the two rings,
which gave out flashing lights as she bent toward Diana.

Diana did not touch them. "They're lovely," she said, steadily; "aren't
they, Sophie?"

"I'm glad he didn't give me pearls," Bettina went on, as Mrs. Martens
exclaimed at their beauty, "because pearls mean tears."

"I've always worn pearls," said Diana.

"Oh, but not as love gifts," said Bettina, quickly. "It's only when your
lover gives you a pearl that you weep--my mother's gift from my father
was a great pearl--and when--he went away--she dropped it--into the
sea.

"And I didn't blame her." Bettina was swinging her own rings back and
forth, and they gave out a silvery tinkle like a chime of fairy bells.
"I didn't blame her, although the pearl was worth a great deal of money
and we were poor. I shouldn't want a ring after a man had ceased to love
me, would you?"

"Of course not," said Diana, "and now--tell me, what were the other nice
things which happened while I was away?"

"Oh," Bettina laughed, "I went fishing with Captain Stubbs and Miss
Matthews, and Justin----"

"Justin?"

"Yes. Justin Ford. He invited himself. I told Mrs. Martens when I came
home that I tried not to have him go, but he would, and it stormed----
Oh, well, we had a lovely time."

Somehow she had found it hard to tell Mrs. Martens, as she was finding
it hard to tell Diana, just what had made the day so lovely. And as for
her compact of friendship, she would tell Anthony but no other.

"Then there was the yacht club dance," she continued, "and oh, Diana,
you should have seen my gown--it was a dream."

Sophie confirmed her verdict. "She was lovely in it, Diana," she said,
"and everybody is talking of the success she made."

"And Anthony came," said Bettina, "and when we reached home he gave me
the ring, and yesterday I had a long ride with him; oh, yes, and the day
before, Justin and Sara and Doris and I had lunch on Bobbie's boat."

"I thought Bobbie's boat was in the yard fo