When Bess returned with George the old man bade them shut the door and lock it. His old caution had never left him.
‘That’s right, mum,’ he said; ‘now stoop down and give us the letter-box as is under the bed.’
Bess did as Josh asked her, and handed him a tin box.
He raised himself in the bed, and Bess propped him up with the pillows.
‘Give us my keys, they’re under the pillow,’ he said, hugging the box to his breast.
When he had the keys he unlocked the box, and waited a moment before he opened it.
‘Listen here, guv’nor, and you, too, missus, now, ’cos I’m agoing to make my will. I carn’t write it, so I say it. There’s jewels and things in this here box as I’ve kept by for years, ’cos they was proputty and easy to carry about. Some o’ these here walyables I should like given to a church or something—some place as’ud be likely to do good with’em. I carn’t give’em to the gal, ’cos why, ‘cos they ain’t clean. There’s that on’em as makes’em not fit for my gal’s gal to have.’
He opened the box and drew out a beautiful diamond ornament.
George started back in astonishment.
‘Why, Heckett,’ he exclaimed, ‘where did you get that from? They’re my mother’s jewels!’