could be
recognised. She answered, that she made most particular inquiries of the
people who attended her, and that one of the women had stated that the
child had a large wart upon the back of its neck: this however was not
likely to remain, and she had abandoned all hopes of its discovery.

I observed that warts were easily removed when contracted accidentally,
but that those which appeared at the birth were no more to be removed
than moles. I then turned the conversation, by stating that I could not
consider her conduct criminal; it was more than could be expected from
human nature, that she should not retain affection for one who had lived
with her as a husband, and died for her sake. I gave her absolution for
half a dozen Ave-Marias, and took my leave for the night. When I lay on
my pallet, I reflected upon what had passed; the year and month agreed
exactly with the time at which I had been sent to the Asylum. A wart, as
she very truly observed, might disappear. Might not I be the very son
whom she was lamenting? The next morning I repaired to the Asylum, and
demanded the date of my reception, with all the particulars, which were
invariably registered in case of the infants being eventually claimed.
It was in the month of February. There was one other entry in the same
month, same day, and nearly the same hour as my own.

"At nine at night, a male infant left at the door in a basket, parties
absconded, no marks, named Anselmo."

"At ten at night, a male infant brought to the door in a capote, parties
absconded, no marks, named Jacobo."

It appeared then that there were two children brought within an hour of
each other to the Asylum, and that I was one of them. In the evening I
returned to the old lady, and accidentally resumed the subject of her
not having made further search for her child, and asked if she had the
precise date. She answered that she had it in her memory too well, and
it was on the 18th of February; and that when she referred to the
Asylum, they had informed her that the children brought in February had
no marks; that they had all been sent away, but where they could not
tell, as the former governor had died, and he was the only person who
could give the information. That either I or the other was her child was
clear, but to prove which, was impossible. It however made me less
scrupulous about my plan of proceeding, which was to identify myself
with the child she had lost. It was useless to prove