“We must hope better things, Mrs. Holl, and the matter I have come about may lead to it.”
“Lor! sir,” Mrs. Holl said; “how can that be?”
“A curious discovery has been made, Mrs. Holl, which may, I don’t say will, lead to our tracing who his mother was.”
“You don’t say so, sir,” Mrs. Holl said.
“I do indeed, Mrs. Holl. I hear from Evan that his mother had a seal, with a three-fingered hand upon it. Have you got it?”
“Yes, sir; I have it locked up.”
“Please let me see it.”
Mrs. Holl produced from a chest a small bundle of clothes, and carefully done up in paper a small seal. Prescott examined it. There was no question that it was a three-fingered hand.
“Were these her things, Mrs. Holl?”
“Yes, sir; that’s all there were.”