When the coffin was opened, I really believed I saw poor Mark's dead body.

The face was just like his, and scarred in the same way." "What about the missing finger, Mrs.Vrain?
If I remember, you even gave a cause for its loss." "Well, it was this way," replied Lydia, somewhat discomposed.

"I knew that Mark hadn't lost a finger when he left, but Ferruci said that if I denied it the police might refuse to believe that the body was that of my husband.

So, as I was sure it was Mark's corpse, I just said he had lost a finger out West.

I didn't think there was any harm in saying so, as for all I knew he might have got it chopped off after leaving me.