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HAND AND RING

by

ANNA KATHARINE GREEN


         *       *       *       *       *

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

   =The Leavenworth Case.= A LAWYER'S STORY. 16mo, cloth,
      $1.00; paper, 50 cents; 4to, paper                     20

   =A Strange Disappearance.= 16mo, cloth, $1.00; paper      50

   =The Sword of Damocles.= 16mo, cloth, $1.00; paper        50

   =X. Y. Z.= A DETECTIVE STORY. 16mo, paper                 25

   =The Defence of the Bride, and other Poems.= Square,
      8vo., flexible cloth                                 1 00


          G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, PUBLISHERS,
          NEW YORK AND LONDON.

         *       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: "'Look out,' cried the detective, 'or you will get
yourself into trouble,' and he tightened his grip on the old creature's
arm."--(Page 43.) (_Frontispiece_.)]



HAND AND RING

by

ANNA KATHARINE GREEN

Author of "The Leavenworth Case", "The Sword of Damocles", "The
Defense of the Bride" Etc., Etc.


          "For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak
          with most miraculous organ."







G. P. Putnam's Sons
New York: 27 & 29 West 23d Street
London: 25 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden
1883

Copyright by
Anna Katharine Green
1883

Press of
G. P. Putnam's Sons
New York




CONTENTS.


  _BOOK I._

  THE GENTLEMAN FROM TOLEDO.

  CHAPTER                                             PAGE

      I. A Startling Coincidence                         1
     II. An Appeal to Heaven                            17
    III. The Unfinished Letter                          31
     IV. Imogene                                        49
      V. Horace Byrd                                    67
     VI. The Skill of an Artist                         85
    VII. Miss Firman                                    95
   VIII. The Thick-set Man                             115
     IX. Close Calculations                            128
      X. The Final Test                                146
     XI. Decision                                      162


  _BOOK II._

  THE WEAVING OF A WEB.

    XII. The Spider                                    168
   XIII. The Fly                                       175
    XIV. A Last Attempt                                189
     XV. The End of a Tortuous Path                    199
    XVI. Storm                                         205
   XVII. A Surprise                                    213
  XVIII. A Brace of Detectives                         214
    XIX. Mr. Ferris                                    233
     XX. A Crisis                                      245
    XXI. A Heart's Martyrdom                           258
   XXII. Craik Mansell                                 264
  XXIII. Mr. Orcutt                                    278
   XXIV. A True Bill                                   299
    XXV. Among Telescopes and Charts                   306
   XXVI. "He Shall Hear Me!"                           313


  _BOOK III._

  THE SCALES OF JUSTICE.

    XXVII. The Great Trial                             315
   XXVIII. The Chief Witness for the Prosecution       322
     XXIX. The Opening of the Defence                  350
      XXX. Byrd Uses his Pencil Again                  356
     XXXI. The Chief Witness for the Defence           369
    XXXII. Hickory                                     383
   XXXIII. A Late Discovery                            392
    XXXIV. What Was Hid Behind Imogene's Veil          411
     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