She placed within his hand a small rectangular box of bone china, some five centimeters by ten centimeters, and five or six centimeters high, with a removable top upon which had been hand painted a perfect pink rose. Matthew took it gently, lifted the lid, and looked inside. It was empty.

“My father gave it to me when I was confirmed,” said Sabina. “I was fourteen. He told me to keep it empty until the day I knew the secret of the rose.”

“But… but I could never accept this,” said Matthew. “It was a gift from your father!”

“I spoke to him about it last night,” she said. “I asked him, if I decided to stay here, if he would have objection to my giving it to you as a gift… to remember me by. He thought it was a wonderful idea.”

“I told you up there on the roof, I won’t forget you.”

“I would still like you to have it.”

Matthew stared down at the white china box in his hand. “I… I don’t know what to say,” he said.

“Say you’ll take it.”

“All right… I’ll accept your gift,” he said, his face suddenly coming alive with an idea. He looked into Sabina’s face. “But I won’t take it!”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’ll leave it here… with you—for safekeeping!” exclaimed Matthew. “That way—don’t you see?—I’ll have to come back for it! It will be my pledge, my promise to come back and visit you again… and soon!”

“Yes—yes, I see!” said Sabina, brightening, too, now that she caught his meaning.

While their parents weighed the severity of what had come, in their youthful innocence, the two young people suddenly made their parting a game, with a promise that it would not be a long one.

“I know,” said Matthew. “Let’s each put something inside the box—now—today!”

“Then we’ll hide it.”

“And open it again when I come back!”

“Oh yes, how fun!” exclaimed Sabina with delight. “Where shall we hide it?”

“It’s got to be where no one but us can find it.”

“No one but the two of us can know.”

“In your father’s garden?”

“No, somebody might dig it up.”

“Somewhere in the house then.”

Their eyes locked for a moment. “The dungeon!” they both said in unison.

They both laughed. “Oh, if only we knew where it was!” added Sabina.

“What about that room at the far end of the corridor?” suggested Matthew. “Where you said no one ever goes?”

“That will be perfect!” cried Sabina. “Let’s go!”

She jumped up and ran from the room.

Still holding the box, Matthew followed.

At the top of the stairs suddenly Sabina stopped.

“But what will we put in it?” she asked, facing Matthew.