"I don't mind," said Alvina. "Do take it if you like it."

"Oh no! Oh no! I can't take it. A beautiful thing it is, really. It
would be worth over a thousand francs, because I believe it is quite
genuine."

"I'm sure it's genuine," said Alvina. "Do have it since you like
it."

"Oh, I can't! I can't!--"

"Yes do--"

"The beautiful red stones!--antique gems, antique gems--! And do you
really give it to me?"

"Yes, I should like to."

"You are a girl with a noble heart--" Madame threw her arms round
Alvina's neck, and kissed her. Alvina felt very cool about it.
Madame locked up the jewels quickly, after one last look.

"My fowl," she said, "which must not boil too fast."

At length Alvina was called down to dinner. The young men were at
table, talking as young men do, not very interestingly. After the
meal, Ciccio sat and twanged his mandoline, making its crying noise
vibrate through the house.

"I shall go and look at the town," said Alvina.

"And who shall go with you?" asked Madame.

"I will go alone," said Alvina, "unless you will come, Madame."

"Alas no, I can't. I can't come. Will you really go alone?"

"Yes, I want to go to the women's shops," said Alvina.

"You want to! All right then! And you will come home at tea-time,
yes?"

As soon as Alvina had gone out Ciccio put away his mandoline and lit
a cigarette. Then after a while he hailed Geoffrey, and the two
young men sallied forth. Alvina, emerging from a draper's shop in
Rotherhampton Broadway, found them loitering on the pavement
outside. And they strolled along with her. So she went into a shop
that sold ladies' underwear, leaving them on the pavement. She
stayed as long as she could. But there they were when she came out.
They had endless lounging patience.

"I thought you would be gone on," she said.

"No hurry," said Ciccio, and he took away her parcels from her, as
if he had a right. She wished he wouldn't tilt the flap of his black
hat over one eye, and she wished there wasn't quite so much
waist-line in the cut of his coat, and that he didn't smoke
cigarettes against the end of his nose in the street. But wishing
wouldn't alter him. He strayed alongside as if he half belonged, and
half didn't--most irritating.

She wasted as much time as possible in the shops, then they took the
tram home again. Ciccio paid the three fares, laying his hand
restrainingly on Gigi's hand, when Gigi's hand sought pence in his
trouser pocket, and