Hans opened his knife and laid bare her left arm. She uttered a little
angry cry. "How dare you?" She tried to cover the arm.
"Let me look at it, Hildegarde," requested the duke.
To him she presented her arm, for she now understood that a serious
affair was in progress. But there was neither mole nor scar upon the
round and lovely arm.
"Why do you do this, father? What is the meaning?"
No one answered; no one had the heart to answer. Without waiting for the
duke to bid him continue, Hans unceremoniously ripped open Gretchen's
left sleeve. The ragged scar was visible to them all. And while they
grouped round the astonished goose-girl they heard her highness cry out
with surprise.
"What is this?" she said, pointing to the two pairs of shoes and the two
cloaks. She held up the locket, the twin of which hung round her neck.
"Where did these come from?"
"My child," the duke answered, unashamed of his tears, "only God knows
as yet what it means; but the outward sign testifies to a strange and
horrible blunder. The locket you hold in your hand was taken from you
when you were an infant. The one you wear round your neck is, according
to the statement of one of these men, not genuine."
"And the significance?" She grew tall, and the torn sleeve fell away
from her arm.
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