But for me they led the way to a very definite inquiry. Asking to
see the rings Mrs. Jeffrey had left behind her on the night she
went for the last time to the Moore house, I looked them carefully
over, and found that none of them showed the least mark of the file.
This strengthened my theory, and I proceeded to take my next step
with increased confidence. It seemed an easy one, but proved
unexpectedly difficult. My desire was to ascertain whether she had
worn previous to her marriage any rings which had not been seen on
her finger since, and it took me one whole week to establish the
fact that she had.
But that fact once learned, the way cleared before me. Allowing my
fancy full rein, I pictured to myself her anxious figure standing
alone in that ancient and ghostly room filing off this old ring
from her dainty finger. Then I asked myself what she would be
likely to do with this ring after disengaging it from her hand?
Would she keep it? Perhaps; but if so, why could it not be found?
None such had been discovered among her effects. Or had she thrown
it away, and if so, where? The vision of her which I had just seen
in my mind's eye came out with a clearness at this, which struck
me as providential. I could discern as plainly as if I had been a
part of the scene the white-clad form of the bride bending toward
the light which came in sparsely through the half-open shutter she
had loosened for this task.
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