To the astonishment of everybody he was on the verge of vehemence; but becoming sensible of it, he controlled himself with a suddenness that was almost shocking. "Find the murderer of this poor girl," said he, with a quiet air that was more thrilling than any display of passion, "and ask _him_ where he got the keys with which he opened the door of my father's house at midnight." Was this a challenge, or just the natural outburst of an innocent man. Neither the jury nor the Coroner seemed to know, the former looking startled and the latter nonplussed. But Mr. Gryce, who had moved now into view, smoothed the head of his cane with quite a loving touch, and did not seem at this moment to feel its inequalities objectionable. "We will certainly try to follow your advice," the Coroner assured him. "Meanwhile we must ask how many rings your wife is in the habit of wearing?" "Five. Two on the left hand and three on the right." "Do you know these rings?" "I do." "Better than you know her hands?" "As well, sir." "Were they on her hands when you parted from her in Haddam?" "They were." "Did she always wear them?" "Almost always. Indeed I do not ever remember seeing her take off more than one of them." "Which one?" "The ruby with the diamond setting." "Had the dead girl any rings on when you saw her?" "No, sir." "Did you look to see?" "I think I did in the first shock of the discovery." "And you saw none?" "No, sir." "And from this you concluded she was not your wife?" "From this and other things." "Yet you must have seen that the woman was in the habit of wearing rings, even if they were not on her hands at that moment?" "Why, sir? What should I know about her habits?" "Is not that a ring I see now on your little finger?" "It is; my seal ring which I always wear." "Will you pull it off?" "Pull it off!" "If you please; it is a simple test I am requiring of you, sir." The witness looked astonished, but pulled off the ring at once. "Here it is," said he. "Thank you, but I do not want it. I merely want you to look at your finger." The witness complied, evidently more nonplussed than disturbed by this command. "Do you see any difference between that finger and the one next it?" "Yes; there is a mark about my little finger showing where the ring has pressed." "Very good; there were such marks on the fingers of the dead girl, who, as you say, had no rings on. I saw them, and perhaps you did yourself?" "I did not; I did not look closely enough." "They were on the little finger of the right hand, on the marriage finger of the left, and on the forefinger of the same. On which fingers did your wife wear rings?" "On those same fingers, sir, but I will not accept this fact as proving her identity with the deceased. Most women do wear rings, and on those very fingers."