He does not realize how wicked he has been, he thinks he ought to be
forgiven at once was her thought.

He emptied the billy slowly on the ground, he put on its blackened lid
and tied the newspaper around it. Then he looked at her again,
and the way her soft hair fell on her forehead made him think
of his young dead sister.

"I BEG you to give it to me again, little Miss Meg," he said.

Meg's heart and head had a rapid battle; the former was tender
and charitable, and bade her take the little ribbon and give it to
him instantly; the latter said he had sinned greatly, and she must
show him her disapproval by her manner, even if she yielded what he
asked her in the end. The head won.

"My influence is evidently useless--that bit of ribbon would make
no difference in the future," she said very coldly.

He leaned back against the tree and yawned, as if the subject had no
more interest for him.

"Ah well," he said, "I dare say you are right." Meg felt a little
taken down.

"Of course, if you really want the ribbon you can have it," she said
loftily. She took it from her pocket and tendered it to him.

But he made no effort to take it.