She, however, slipped the ring from her finger and laid it in Mrs.Fairfax's palm.
"You can take that with you," she said, with a desperate attempt to imitate the other's previous indifference.

"I shouldn't like to deprive you and YOUR FRIEND of the opportunity of making use of it again.

As for MY husband, I shall say nothing of you to him as long as you say nothing to him of me--which I suppose is what you mean." The insolent look came back to Mrs.Fairfax's face.

"I reckon yo' 're right," she said quietly, putting the ring in her pocket as she fixed her dark eyes on Mrs.Bunker, "and the ring may be of use again.
Good-by, Mrs.Bunker." She waved her hand carelessly, and turning away passed out of the house.
A moment later the boat and its two occupants pushed from the shore, and disappeared round the Point.
Then Mrs.Bunker looked round the room, and down upon her empty finger, and knew that it was the end of her dream.

It was all over now--indeed, with the picture of that proud, insolent woman before her she wondered if it had ever begun.