e left side of
the wrist and in some places endangering the radial artery.

"These small wounds here, deep and jagged, seem as if made with a blunt
instrument. This in particular would seem as if made with some kind of
sharp wedge; the flesh round it seems torn as if with lateral pressure."

Turning to Miss Trelawny he said presently:

"Do you think we might remove this bangle? It is not absolutely
necessary, as it will fall lower on the wrist where it can hang
loosely; but it might add to the patient's comfort later on." The poor
girl flushed deeply as she answered in a low voice:

"I do not know. I--I have only recently come to live with my Father;
and I know so little of his life or his ideas that I fear I can hardly
judge in such a matter. The Doctor, after a keen glance at her, said
in a very kindly way:

"Forgive me! I did not know. But in any case you need not be
distressed. It is not required at present to move it. Were it so I
should do so at once on my own responsibility. If it be necessary
later on, we can easily remove it with a file. Your Father doubtless
has some object in keeping it as it is. See! there is a tiny key
attached to it...." As he was speaking he stopped and bent lower,
taking from my hand the candle which I held and lowering it till its
light fell on the bangle. Then motioning me to hold the candle in the
same position, he took from his pocket a magnifying-glass which he
adjusted. When he had made a careful examination he stood up and
handed the magnifying-glass to Dolan, saying as he did so:

"You had better examine it yourself. That is no ordinary bangle. The
gold is wrought over triple steel links; see where it is worn away. It
is manifestly not meant to be removed lightly; and it would need more
than an ordinary file to do it."

The Superintendent bent his great body; but not getting close enough
that way knelt down by the sofa as the Doctor had done. He examined
the bangle minutely, turning it slowly round so that no particle of it
escaped observation. Then he stood up and handed the magnifying-glass
to me. "When you have examined it yourself," he said, "let the lady
look at it if she will," and he commenced to write at length in his
notebook.

I made a simple alteration in his suggestion. I held out the glass
toward Miss Trelawny, saying:

"Had you not better examine it first?" She drew back, slightly raising
her hand in disclaimer, as she said impulsivel