What with imitations and the 'cultured' article, women are
coming already to despise them. But even if you take your _fiancee_ a
diamond ring, will she not merely say to herself: 'an excellent
beginning, now what is the next thing I can get out of him?' Be wise
and cultivate no such spirit of cupidity, foreign to a good woman's
nature but encouraged by the men, who, for vanity's sake, heap presents
upon her. Take rather this little cross, set with pure amethysts, the
emblem of faith and so discover, my dear sir, whether she loves the man
or the jewel, for indeed but few women love both, as all their story
teaches us."
Ambrose took the cross and thanked the old man for his words of wisdom.
Another cab carried him on his way to Upper Gloucester Place where
Kitty Palmer then lived with her saintly mother--and as he went, he
reflected upon the jeweller's words.
"I'll put her to the proof," he said to himself, "if she likes this
twopenny halfpenny cross, she is a miracle among women. But, of course,
she won't like it and there'll be another scene.
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