It was at Canterbury, as it happened; and that seemed significant, for it was not so far from there to his sweetheart's home at Milton. Ralph went over to Canterbury, and with the help of a clerk of Mr Smith's, searched all the parish registers between the two places; but found nothing.
The trial was coming on in a few weeks, and not a scrap of evidence could they get of the marriage of Major Hammond. The other side were full of confidence, and well they might be. Ralph had made up his mind to return home, and was walking disconsolately down the High Street of Canterbury one day when he saw over a shop-window the sign, 'Pilgrim, Goldsmith; established 1715.'
'I wonder,' he said to himself, 'if my great-grandfather bought his wedding-ring there?'
A sudden impulse sent him into the shop. A nice-looking old gentleman, with long white hair, was sitting behind the counter, peering into the works of a watch through an elongated eye-glass.
Ralph brought out his ring. 'Do you think this ring was bought at your shop?' he asked.
'How long ago?' asked Mr Pilgrim, taking up the ring and looking at it all round.
'About the year 1760.'
'Ah-h! I can't remember so long ago as that. It was in my father's time; but for all that, perhaps I can tell you.'
He took up the magnifying-glass, and examined the ring carefully once more.
'Yes,' he said, looking up, a mysterious expression on his face, 'that ring was bought from my father, I have no doubt.'