"I hope it's something to eat," said Noel.
But the metallic sound they heard as they shook the bag was not suggestive of food.
It took Duke's nimble fingers but a few moments to unfasten the bag. To their amazement it was full of gold pieces.
"It must be Mr. Alan's money," said Duke, as they looked at each other in astonishment. "There must be hundreds of sovereigns here."
"I wish it was full of biscuits," said Noel.
"Or that there was a shop at hand," said Duke.
"If there was, the money is Mr. Alan's, and it would be stealing to take it," said Noel.
"Would it not be just as much stealing to take someone else's biscuits?" asked Duke.
Noel was silent.
"Well, as we can't do anything with it, and ought not if we could, I'll put the bag back," said Duke. "What a hoard! and what a miser! See, I have stuck in the plant, and it looks just as it did. I don't believe it was really growing there."