Her thoughts went on in a dream of this, while Lady Tancred talked of many things, and she answered, "Yes," and "No," with gentle respect.

Her future mother-in-law's great dignity pleased her sense of the fitness of things; she so disliked gush of any sort herself, and she felt now that she knew where she was and there need be no explanations.

The family, one and all, evidently intended to play the same part, and she would, too.

When the awakening came it would be between herself and Tristram.
Yes, she must think of him now as "Tristram!" Her thoughts had wandered again when she heard Lady Tancred's voice, saying, "I wanted to give you this myself," and she drew a small case from a table near and opened it, and there lay a very beautiful diamond ring.
"It is my own little personal present to you, my new, dear daughter.
Will you wear it sometimes, Zara, in remembrance of this day and in remembrance that I give into your hands the happiness of my son, who is dearer to me than any one on earth ?" And the two proud pairs of eyes met, and Zara could not answer, and there was a strange silence between them for a second.

And then Tristram came back into the room, which created a diversion, and she was enabled to say some ordinary conventional things about the beauty of the stones, and express her thanks for the gift.