It was the ring on the left hand that people at the Old Girls' Reunion looked for. Often, in fact nearly always, it was an uninteresting ring, sometimes no more than the plain gold band or the very smallest and dimmest of diamonds. Perhaps the husband was also of this variety, but as he was not seen at this female gathering he could only be imagined, and somehow I do not think we ever imagined the husbands to be quite so uninteresting as they probably were. Barbara Pym
About This Quote

A seemingly insignificant detail at the beginning of the novel is the first thing that the author uses as a clue that there is more to her main character than meets the eye. In this case, the ring on the left hand represents a love triangle between Miss Summers, Mr. Rochester and his wife. It is an important clue because it is not a ring that a man would have on his right hand, but a woman's ring so it's a very significant piece of information.

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