'Your uncle? Mr George Burton? I hope you won't think me dreadful, but I cannot say I'm sorry. He was not a person for whom I entertained feelings of profound respect.' 'He--he's left rather a peculiar will.' 'I'm not surprised. I should be surprised at nothing he did which was peculiar. I never knew him do anything which wasn't. Or worse.' Mr Holland resolved to plunge. 'He says you have a ruby ring of his.' 'He says?--who says?' 'My uncle--in his will.' Miss Bewicke laid down her knife and fork. 'Mr Holland, do I understand that you intend to suggest that I have in my possession another person's property?' 'It's like this. He had a ruby ring, I know it very well. In his will he says you have it. He may have given it to you for all I know; he did queer things--' 'Thank you.' 'I don't mean that.' 'It doesn't matter. Go on.' 'Anyhow, it's a condition of his will that I'm to get it back from you, and if I don't get it back within three months of his death I'm to lose his money.' 'I don't in the least understand you. Will you please be so good as to make yourself quite clear.' He made himself as clear as he could, though he did not find it easy. Nor was his explanation well received. 'Then am I to gather that you have come to me at midnight, hot-foot from Africa, in order to get from me--a ring; a ruby ring?' 'It doesn't sound very nice, but that's the plain truth of it.' 'It's very flattering.' 'Very!' The chorus came from Mr Dumville, and was accompanied by a glare. 'I can only throw myself upon your mercy, Miss Bewicke, and implore you to let me have this ring to save my inheritance.' Miss Bewicke resumed her knife and fork, which had all this time been lying idle. There was a change in her manner, which, though subtle, was well defined to Mr Holland's consciousness. 'By the way, Mr Holland, the other day I heard your name associated with a person called, I think, Broad. Was it merely idle gossip, or do you know anything of a person with a name like that?' 'I do. I know Miss Broad, and very well. I hope she will be my wife. She has promised that she will.' 'Ah, you and I know what is the value of such promises, don't we, Mr Holland? Is she any relation to Broad, the teaman, in Mincing Lane?' 'She is his daughter; his only child.' 'Indeed! His only child? How delightful! Old Broad has bushels of money. How nice for you, of all men, to be received in such a family.' The airy insolence of the tone was meant to sting, and did, though he endeavoured to conceal the fact. 'You haven't answered my question.' 'Haven't I? What was your question?' 'Will you let me have the ring, to save my inheritance?' 'It's such an odd question--isn't it, Bryan? So mysterious. Melodrama's not at all my line. They say I'm too small. Do you think that I'm too small?' 'I should imagine that you were better fitted to shine in domestic comedy.' His words conveyed a meaning which this time stung her, although she laughed.