I spoke of the diamond ring.
"Have you got that ring?" asked the magistrate.
"Yes," I said, feeling in my waistcoat pocket and producing it from
the folds of a piece of muslin. I handed it to the schoolmaster,
whom I had not told about it before. He examined the sparkling
stones and handed it on to Mr. Duke. I saw Mr. Duke eyeing it
curiously. As he looked at the inner circle of gold a light came to
his eyes.
"Ah, hello!" said he. "There are some letters engraved here. Can
you read them, dominie? The characters are foreign. It looks like
German or Russian."
Andrew took the ring nearer to the light.
"The characters are Danish!" said he excitedly. "It is the name
'Thora Quendale!'"
"Well, all this is unmistakable evidence," said Mr. Duke. "I think
you have proved, Andrew, that this passenger on the Pilgrim and the
owner of the Undine were one and the same person. The ring is a
lady's ring. Probably it belonged to Quendale's wife."
"I think it likely that he took it from his dead wife's finger,"
said the schoolmaster, handing the ring back to me.
"No, sir," I said. "The ring isna mine. It belongs now to Thora,
and Thora shall have it;" and making my way towards her I took her
fair hand in mine.
White and smooth it was, like the hand of a lady, with long
tapering fingers and shapely nails.
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