"Well," said Lilly, shaking back her hair impatiently, "is there anything more?"
"Only this little box."
We opened the box, and there, on a bed of pink cotton, were a pair of cuff-buttons, the most elegant we had ever seen. They were onyx, with diamond stars for a centre. The diamonds were all small except the central ones, that were like the dewdrops at the tips of narrow leaves.
"How beautiful!" cried Lilly.
"These diamonds are of great value," said Uncle David, examining them critically.
"But this man must have had friends," said I: "there must be some one in the world to whom these things ought to belong."
"Until those friends are found," said Lilly, "I propose that we act as Mr. Unknown's heir and executors. You can have the handkerchiefs, Stell, and I will take these buttons: they could be made into lovely earrings."
"Oh, Lilly! should you like to wear them?"
"Certainly: why not?" and Lilly ran to the glass and held one of the darkly-shining stones against her pale, pretty cheek.—"Don't oppose it, aunty dear. Only think! fifteen years and the man not heard from!"
"Here are his initials again," said I, picking up the other button, on whose gold side the initials were engraved. "'C. G.'—Constant Gower? Colton Goran?"