She loved Giles. It was no use blinking the fact. She loved him with every fibre of her nature, and with a passion far stronger than could be felt for him by the golden-haired doll with the shallow eyes. For Giles she would have lost the world, but she would not have him lose his for her. And, after all, she had no right to creep like a serpent into the Eden of silly, prattling Daisy. In her own puny way the child – for she was little else – adored Giles, and as he was her affianced lover it would be base to come between her and her god. But Anne knew in her heart that Giles loved her best. If she did but lift her hand he would leave all and follow her to the world's end. But lift her hand she would not. It would be too cruel to break the butterfly Daisy on such a painful wheel. Anne loved sufficiently to be large and generous in her nature, and therefore broke her own heart to spare the breaking of another woman's. Certainly Giles was as unhappy as she was; that was patent in his looks and bearing. But he had forged his own chains, and could not break them without dishonor. And come what may, Giles would always love her best.
Anne's meditations were disturbed by a knock at the door. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was close on midnight, and wondering who wished to see her at so late an hour, she opened the door. Daisy, in a blue dressing-gown, with her golden hair loose and her face flushed, entered the room. She skipped towards Anne with a happy laugh, and threw her arms round her neck.
"I could not sleep without telling you how happy I am," she said, and with a look of triumph displayed the ring.
Anne's heart beat violently at this visible sign of the barrier between her and Giles. However, she was too clever a woman to betray her emotion, and examined the ring with a forced smile.
"Diamonds for your eyes, rubies for your lips," she said softly. "A very pretty fancy."
Daisy was annoyed. She would rather that Anne had betrayed herself by some rude speech, or at least by a discomposed manner. To make her heart ache Daisy had come, and from all she could see she had not accomplished her aim. However, she still tried to wring some sign of emotion from the expression or lips of the calm governess.
"Giles promised me a ring over and over again," she said, her eyes fixed on Anne. "We have been engaged for over six months. He asked me just before you came, although it was always an understood thing. His father and mine arranged the engagement, you know. I didn't like the idea at first, as I wanted to make my own choice. Every girl should, I think. Don't you?"
"Certainly," Anne forced herself to say, "but you love Mr. Ware."
Daisy nodded. "Very, very much," she assented emphatically. "I must have loved him without knowing it, but I was only certain when he asked me to marry him. How lucky it is he has to make me his wife!" she sighed. "If he were not bound – " Here she stopped suddenly, and looked into the other woman's eyes.
"What nonsense!" said Anne good-humoredly, and more composed than ever. "Mr. Ware loves you dearly. You are the one woman he would choose for his wife. There is no compulsion about his choice, my dear."
"Do you really think so?" demanded the girl feverishly. "I thought – it was the ring, you know."
"What do you mean, Daisy?"
"He never would give me the ring, although I said it was ridiculous for a girl to be engaged without one. He always made some excuse, and only to-night – But I have him safe now," she added, with a fierce abruptness, "and I'll keep him."
"Nobody wants to take him from you, dear."
"Do you really think so?" said Miss Kent again. "Then why did he delay giving me the ring?"
Anne knew well enough. After her first three meetings with Giles she had seen the love light in his eyes, and his reluctance to bind himself irrevocably with the ring was due to a hope that something might happen to permit his choosing for himself. But nothing had happened, the age of miracles being past, and the vow to his dead father bound him. Therefore on this very night he had locked his shackles and had thrown away the key. Anne had made it plain to him that she could not, nor would she, help him to play a dishonorable part. He had accepted his destiny, and now Daisy asked why he had not accepted it before. Anne made a feeble excuse, the best she could think of.
"Perhaps he did not see a ring pretty enough," she said.
"It might be that," replied Daisy reflectively. "Giles has such good taste. You did not show me what he gave you to-night."
Miss Denham would rather not have shown it, but she had no excuse to refuse a sight of the gift. Without a word she slipped the bangle from her wrist – Daisy's jealous eyes noted that she had kept it on till now – and handed it to the girl.
"Oh, how sweet and pretty!" she cried, with artificial cordiality. "Just a ring of gold with a coin attached. May I look?" And without waiting for permission she ran to the lamp.
The coin was a half-sovereign of Edward VII., with three stones – a diamond, an amethyst, and a pearl – set in a triangle. A thin ring of gold attached it to the bangle. Daisy was not ill pleased that the gift was so simple. Her engagement ring was much more costly.
"It's a cheap thing," she said contemptuously. "The coin is quite common."
"It will be rare some day," said Anne, slipping the bangle on her wrist. "The name of the King is spelt on this one 'Edwardus,' whereas in the Latin it should be 'Edvardus.' I believe the issue is to be called in. Consequently coins of this sort will be rare some day. It was kind of Mr. Ware to give it to me."
Daisy paid no attention to this explanation. "An amethyst, a diamond, and a pearl," she said. "Why did he have those three stones set in the half-sovereign?"
Anne turned away her face, for it was burning red. She knew very well what the stones signified, but she was not going to tell this jealous creature. Daisy's wits, however, were made keen by her secret anger, and after a few moments of thought she jumped up, clapping her hands.
"I see it – the initials of your name. Amethyst stands for Anne and Diamond for Denham."
"It might be so," replied Miss Denham coldly.
"It is so," said Daisy, her small face growing white and pinched. "But what does the pearl mean? Ah, that you are a pearl!"
"Nonsense, Daisy. Go you to bed, and don't imagine things."
"It is not imagination," cried the girl shrilly, "and you know that well, Anne. What right have you to come and steal Giles from me?"
"He is yours," said Anne sharply. "The ring – "
"Oh, yes, the ring. I have his promise to marry me, but you have his heart. Don't I know. Give me that bangle." And she stretched out her hand with a clutching gesture.
"No," said Anne sternly, "I shall keep my present. Go to bed. You are overtired. To-morrow you will be wiser."
"I am wise now – too wise. You have made Giles love you."
"I have not; I swear I have not," said Anne, beginning to lose her composure.
"You have, and you love him; I see it in your face. Who are you to come into my life and spoil it?"
"I am a governess. That is all you need to know."
"You look like a governess," said Daisy, insultingly. "I believe you are a bad woman, and came here to steal Giles from me."
"Daisy!" – Anne rose to her feet and walked towards the door – "I have had quite enough of your hysterical nonsense. If you came here to insult me in this way, it is time you went. Mr. Ware and I were complete strangers to one another when I came here."
"Strangers! And what are you now?"
"Friends – nothing more, nothing less."
"So you