"What is this from?" asked Alice, touching the silk lining at the bottom of the box.
"O that was always in the box, Alice. It was there when my husband received it, and must be a piece of India silk.
"Is any thing the matter with it?" continued Mrs. Reed, as she noticed Alice picking at one corner of it.
"O nothing is the matter," replied Alice; "it only seemed to me to be a little loose."
"Let me look," said Mrs. Reed. "I don't think it can be loose, or I should have seen it when I was lining the box."
"It is actually quite loose," said Alice, as she examined it further, and picked up one corner with, a pin; "and here is a little piece of paper underneath it."
"That is remarkable," said Mrs. Reed, as she put on her spectacles and drew up her chair a little closer to Alice.
"And there is some writing on it too," said Alice, as she drew it from its hiding-place and handed it to Mrs. Reed.
"Why, it's my husband's writing!" exclaimed Mrs. Reed, as she closely examined the faded letters. "What can it mean? I never saw it before. Read it, Alice; your eyes are younger than mine."
Alice read: "'Look and ye shall find,' and underneath this," continued Alice, "is a picture of a mantel-piece, and underneath that, it reads: 'A word to the wise is sufficient.'"