"I have it still."
"I have often wondered what it contains, and whether the mother will ever call for it."
"If she does it shall be handed to her in the same condition as you handed it to me. But she does not know in whose possession it is?"
"No, she does not know, and she can only obtain the information from Mr. Gordon's lawyers. My lips are sealed."
Aaron considered a moment. This opening up of the dreaded subject made him feel as if a sword were hanging over his head, but his sense of justice impelled him to say, "It may happen that the mother will wish to have the box restored to her, and that the lawyers may refuse to give her the information that it is in my possession. She may seek elsewhere for a clew, and may be directed to you."
"I shall not enlighten her," said Mr. Moss.
"My desire is that you do enlighten her. It is her property, and I have no right to retain it."
"Very well, Cohen, if you wish it; but nothing is more unlikely than your ever being troubled with her, or ever seeing her. She has forgotten all about it long ago."
"You are mistaken. A mother never forgets."
"And now, Cohen, I have a message for you from Mrs. Moss. She is burning to see you and cannot come to London. We are about to have an addition to our family; that will be the sixteenth. Upon my word, I don't know when we are going to stop. Is it too much to ask you to pay us a visit?"