It was the left hand; because Miss Bellingham, who told me about it, said that he would never have been able to get the ring on at all but for the fact that his left hand was slightly smaller than his right." "There it is, then," said Thorndyke.

"With this new fact in our possession, the absence of this finger furnishes the starting-point of some very curious speculations." "As, for instance ?" said Jervis.
"Ah, under the circumstances, I must leave you to pursue those speculations independently.

I am now acting for Mr.Bellingham." Jervis grinned and was silent for a while, refilling his pipe thoughtfully; but when he had got it alight he resumed.
"To return to the question of the disappearance; you don't consider it highly improbable that Bellingham might have been murdered by Hurst ?" "Oh, don't imagine that I am making an accusation.

I am considering the various probabilities merely in the abstract.

The same reasoning applies to the Bellinghams.