THE ANTIQUE RING by NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Antique Ring" (1843) is a fascinating departure from his usual dark, Puritan-focused dramas. It is a "story within a story" that blends lighthearted social banter with a legendary, cursed history.  

The story begins in a cozy, modern setting where a young man named Edward Caryl presents an antique ring to his fiancée, Clara. When she asks about the ring's history, Edward—an aspiring writer—unfurls a legendary "biography" of the jewel.
He transports his listeners back to the court of Queen Elizabeth I, where the ring is a royal pledge given to the Ear...