XXXV. Pro and Con 436
XXXVI. A Mistake Rectified 465
XXXVII. Under the Great Tree 475
XXXVIII. Unexpected Words 502
XXXIX. Mr. Gryce 516
XL. In the Prison 529
XLI. A Link Supplied 555
XLII. Consultations 568
XLIII. Mrs. Firman 573
XLIV. The Widow Clemmens 587
XLV. Mr. Gryce Says Good-bye 600

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE
"'Look out,' cried the detective, 'or you will get yourself
into trouble,' and he tightened his grip on the old
creature's arm." _Frontispiece_

"Taking her hand in his, he looked at her long and
searchingly. 'Imogene,' he exclaimed, 'there is
something weighing on your heart.'" 58

"He paused, sick and horror-stricken. Her face had risen
upon him from the back of the chair, and was staring
at him like that of a Medusa." 252

Diagram 364

"The curtains parted and disclosed the form of Imogene.
'I am coming,' she murmured, and stepped forth." 402

NOTE.--A portion of these illustrations originally
appeared in _Frank Leslie's Illustrated
Newspaper_, and have been used in this volume
through the courtesy of Mrs. Leslie.

HAND AND RING.

BOOK I.

THE GENTLEMAN FROM TOLEDO.

I.

A STARTLING COINCIDENCE.

By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
--MACBETH.

THE town clock of Sibley had just struck twelve. Court had adjourned,
and Judge Evans, with one or two of the leading lawyers of the county,
stood in the door-way of the court-house discussing in a friendly way
the eccentricities of criminals as developed in the case then before the
court. Mr. Lord had just ventured the assertion that crime as a fine art
was happily confined to France; to which District Attorney Ferris had
replied:

"And why? Because atheism has not yet acquired