"But they've paid no ransom."
"It's an indurance test."
I got up to find myself a match. As I did so, I caught a glimpse of her left hand, wearing the scarab-ring; it disappeared for a moment, and to my surprise reappeared without the ring.
"Suppose we call the bet off?" she suggested. "It was all rather silly."
"Odds offered and taken and horses running. It's too late now. How did you find out the secret?"
"I didn't. My finger shrank and the ring came off three days ago when I was washing my hands."
"You didn't pull?"
"No."
"Show me."
"It was like this," she began, slipping the ring back on to the third finger. "Rather loose——"