“Ah yes. The family papers.” He nodded thoughtfully.
“But what Hans wrote isn’t the whole story by any means. There were some things Franz Schirmer didn’t tell his children.”
“So? What things?”
George went on to tell him then about the meeting with Maria, about Mr. Moreton’s investigation, and about his discovery of the truth in the army records at Potsdam.
The Sergeant listened without interruption now; and when George finished he remained silent for a moment or two staring down at the table in front of him. At last he looked up and there was a quiet smile of satisfaction on his face.
“That was a man,” he said to Arthur.
“One of the boys, all right,” Arthur agreed, nodding; “same name and rank, too. Let’s see-Dragoons were …”
But the Sergeant had turned to George again. “And this Maria. She was my great Urgrossmutter?”
“That’s right. Her first son, Karl, was your Urgrossvater. But you see the strong case we have through knowing about the change of name. Amelia Schneider’s first cousin was your grandfather, Friedrich, and he survived her. You remember him?”
The Sergeant nodded vaguely. “Yes. I remember.”