you. It is mine now, and must be mine. I cannot give it back."

There she sat, suddenly developed to the most inflexible little heroine
in the three Kingdoms.

From her first perception of the meaning of the young bride's words, Mrs.
Berry, a shrewd physiognomist, knew that her case was hopeless, unless
she treated her as she herself had been treated, and seized the ring by
force of arms; and that she had not heart for.

"What!" she gasped faintly, "one's own lawful wedding-ring you wouldn't
give back to a body?"

"Because it is mine, Mrs. Berry. It was yours, but it is mine now. You
shall have whatever you ask for but that. Pray, forgive me! It must be
so."

Mrs. Berry rocked on her chair, and sounded her hands together. It
amazed her that this soft little creature could be thus firm. She tried
argument.

"Don't ye know, my dear, it's the fatalest thing you're inflictin' upon
me, reelly! Don't ye know that bein' bereft of one's own lawful wedding-
ring's the fatalest thing in life, and there's no prosperity after it!
For what stands in place o' that, when that's gone, my dear? And what
could ye give me to compensate a body for the loss o' that? Don't ye
know--Oh, deary me!" The little bride's face was so set that poor Berry
wailed off in despair.

"I know it," said Lucy. "I know it all. I know what I do to you. Dear,