"She pointed here with her stick," said Jack.
There was a piece of tin fastened over the side of the fireplace, and black-leaded.
"Mind if we try behind this?" he asked.
"Leave it alone!" cried Tom.
But Jack pulled it out, and the ash and dirt and soot poured down over the hearth. Behind the sheet of thin iron was the naked stone of the chimney-piece. Various stones were loose: that was why Gran had had the tin sheet put over.
He got out of the cavity behind the stones, where the loose mortar had all crumbled, a little square dusty box that had apparently been an old tea-caddy. It was very heavy for its size, and very dirty. He put it on the table in front of Mrs. Ellis. Tom got up excitedly to look in. He opened the lid. It was full to the brim of coins, gold coins and silver coins and dust and dirt, and a sort of spider filament. He shook his head over it.
"Isn't that old Gran to a T!" he exclaimed, and poured out the dust and the money on the table.
Ma began eagerly to pick out the gold from the silver, saying:
"I remember when she made Dad put that iron plate up. She said insects came out and worried her."
Ma only picked out the gold pieces, the sovereigns and half-sovereigns. She left Tom to sort the silver crowns and half-crowns into little piles. Jack watched in silence. There was a smell of soot and old fire-dust, and everybody's hands were black.