"Ah, you knew of that, did you? It is quite safe; it was found by one of the firemen."
"Oh! It will be yours now, won't it, father? I never told Gran I knew that she had it; I saw her counting it one day—she saved it, I suppose."
John Berryman made no immediate response. He felt a reluctance, which was very natural, in talking of his mother; and when at length he spoke his voice was very grave and sad.
"Your grandmother saved a lot of money which she ought to have spent," he said, "part of which is rightly mine, for I sent it to her; but the rest I shall give away—to the hospital and the poor of the town. I have told Mr. Blackmore my intention; he considers I shall be doing right."
"Oh, father!" Melina exclaimed. She was silent for a minute, reflecting on what he had said, then she added, "I think I understand what you feel."
"I feel that the money was taken from the poor, and I must make what amends I can."
"I did not know until quite lately, father, what Gran's business was; then William Jones told me."
"Never let us speak of it again, Melina!"
"No, we never will," she agreed. "I saw both Mr. and Mrs. Jones when I was at Jubilee Terrace yesterday," she proceeded to inform him, "and Mr. Jones told me what I had not heard before—that it was Gran who set the house on fire."
"Yes," replied her father, "that was so. She explained that she got up in the night to get something from the kitchen, and let the hand-lamp she was carrying fall. The oil caught fire, and she could not extinguish it; she was going to arouse you when she became giddy and fell—at the foot of the stairs, where Mr. Jones and those who had helped him to break in the backdoor found her."