But the aged and honorable duke remained unmoved, and his wife,said: "We must thoroughly examine how we are to act. God forbid thatwe should move a step from this hall until we have done so."

Then the very very aged wife of the fisherman drew near, and making a lowreverence to the duchess, she exclaimed: "Noble, god-fearing lady, youhave opened my heart. I must tell you. if this evil-disposed younglady is my daughter, she has a mark, like a violet, between hershoulders, and another like it on the instep of her left leg. Ifshe would only go out of the hall with me!"