"Ninety pounds!" repeated Mrs. Maggs.
"Ninety pounds, Maggs! Not one penny less."
"But who—?" both voices exclaimed together.
"Who, indeed?" Mr. Gilbert's mind was already running over the list of his friends and acquaintances in Old and New Maxham, rejecting the thought of each in turn. Most of them simply could not have offered such a gift; and the very few who perhaps could, he felt sure would not. Or if they would, he saw no reason in their case for secrecy.
"It is extraordinary. I have not the vaguest idea who the money can be from. Most singular. Somebody in the place; that seems certain. He must have been at the funeral, or else he must have heard about it from others. This plainly comes as a response. On Sunday—only this last Sunday—I gave out that one hundred pounds more would be required; and the giver of this has evidently reckoned that the neighbourhood might make up ten pounds of that amount. He has reckoned rightly too. Seven of the ten we have already; less than three more wanted. A mere nothing! But ninety pounds! And brought to the back door in such a quiet way. No fuss or ostentation. I am utterly at a loss. And we shall have to be at a loss. The good man does not mean it to be known—whoever he is and of course we cannot try to find out. He has a right to his secret if he chooses."
The Vicar was unable to settle down to any more sermon-preparation that afternoon. He put his books and papers away, and went off to tell his people the good news. Many of them would rejoice heartily with him; not least among them the inhabitants of Periwinkle Cottage.
[CHAPTER XIX]
JESSIE'S WONDERINGS
"I WONDER, I do wonder, who it could have been. Don't you, Millie? Who ever could have given such a lot? Only fancy—ninety pounds! And this isn't like a big town, where a lot of rich people live. Why, there's hardly anybody in Old Maxham with any money at all to spare. Unless it's the Mokeses. Mr. Mokes wouldn't give ninety pounds, nor ninety shillings, for anybody in the world, except himself. You needn't look so grave, because I've known Mr. Mokes pretty nearly all my life, and I know just exactly what he is. It isn't Mr. Mokes that's given the ninety pounds. And who else it can be, I don't know. Even in New Maxham there's nobody really rich. And nobody likely to give such a lot, all at once, without a word. Who do you think it can have been? What do you think?"
"I think—that skirt has to be finished," Mildred said in tranquil tones.