“Then I’m glad the old gentleman chose this way of banking. And I suppose he meant to leave full instructions where to find it.”
“Well,” said Sinclair, “we found it without his instructions, thanks to our Patty.”
And then they all began again to bless and praise Patty, until she was really embarrassed at their overwhelming gratitude.
“We’d offer you a share,” said Bob, gaily, “but you already have more than you know what to do with.”
“Perhaps not quite that,” said Patty, smiling, “but I have enough. And, oh! I am so glad that you have your own at last.”
“How much do you suppose there is?” asked Mabel, awestruck, as she watched the boys still carrying their precious handfuls across the room.
“Enough to buy you some new frocks, sister,” said Sinclair, “and enough to fix up dear old Cromarty as it should be fixed up.”
“There must be thousands of pounds,” said Grandma Cromarty. “To think of Marmaduke exchanging all his securities and bonds for gold and notes! I suppose he did it while I was away in London. He was a most erratic man.”
“Well, you see,” said Sinclair, thoughtfully, “once he had the place built, he could drop his money through whenever he received any. I can imagine the old chap, after every one else in the house was in bed, standing here and dropping in his coins one by one, and listening to them clink. Why, it’s like a child’s toy savings-bank, on a large scale.”
“It’s a large scale!” said Bob. “Whew! I’m tired out. But it’s nearly all in the chest now, and see, Grandy, the chest is nearly full! When shall we count it? And how shall we get this mess cleared away? If the servants come in here, they’ll know it all, at once. And I think we ought to keep the matter quiet until we can cart the gold away to the bank.”