sign. Presently, however, she got up and stood in
front of Mrs. Chester (the two women were alone
on the terrace).
"It's quite all right," she said. "It doesn't
matter. But I think--all the same--that we'd bet-ter
call the whole thing off."
She slipped from her finger the signet ring that
Basil had given her--he would buy the real en-gagement
ring later.
"Will you give him back this, Mrs. Chester?
And tell him it's all right--not to worry .... "
"Betty dear, don't! He does love you--really."
"It looks like it, doesn't it?" said the girl with a
98
Agatha Christie
short laugh. "No--I've got some pride. Tell him
everything's all right and that I--I wish him
luck."
When Basil returned at sunset he was greeted by
a storm.
He flushed a little at the sight of his ring.
"So that's how she feels, is it? Well, I daresay
it's the best thing."
"Basil!"
"Well, frankly, Mother, we don't seem to have
been hitting it off lately."
"Whose fault was that?"
"I don't see that it was mine particularly. Jealousy's
beastly and I really don't see why you should get all worked up about it. You begged me
yourself not to marry Betty."