“Nevertheless, will you oblige me by walking down with Anderson and me to her house?”
“And take off the seals, I presume, in your presence? But the fact is, Tom, that not thinking the property quite safe there, even under seal, I have kept it all in my own pocket.”
“Nevertheless, oblige me by coming down.”
“Oh, with all my heart, since you do not like to take possession unless in due form.”
As soon as we arrived at the hovel, I went into the bed-room, and threw open the window. I then, to their great astonishment, went to the fire-grate, threw out some rubbish which was put into it, pulled up the iron back, and removed the bricks. In a short time I produced two small boxes, one of them very heavy. There was nothing else in the hole.
“Here,” said I, “Mr Wilson, is a portion of the property which you have overlooked.”
“No wonder,” replied he. “Pray let us see what it is.”
I opened the boxes, and, to their surprise, made up in a variety of packages, I counted out gold coin to the amount of four hundred and twenty pounds.
“Not a bad legacy,” said Mr Wilson. “Then you knew of this?”
“Of course; I have known it some time—ever since the attempt to rob her.”