“Oh, very well,” responded Mrs. Melmouth with some dudgeon. “I’ll help you then, Simon. I’ll fetch ’taters, an’ then I’ll help you.”
When she returned she found Simon and Rosy sitting as she had left them, in absolute silence, Simon drumming on the table and looking dubiously at Rosy, who darned away without raising her eyes.
“There’s an odd stocking here,” she remarked snappishly, as her aunt sat down. “What am I to do with that?”
Mrs. Melmouth, gazing at her sternly, determined to profit by the opportunity her niece had unconsciously presented to her, and to give her the lesson she deserved.
“That there stockin’,” she said impressively, as she took it from the heap and held it up for their inspection, “that there stockin’ is more vallyable nor it do look. It is feller to one what’s worth farty pound.”
Both exclaimed and stared.
“I’ve always kep’ it for that,” resumed Mrs. Melmouth. “’Tis nigh upon farty year old—an’ the feller to it is worth farty pound. Your uncle and me did begin savin’ the very year we was first married, an’ I’ve a-gone on ever since. When Melmouth died there was over thirty pound in it. I didn’t like to have so much money about, livin’ here all alone, so I axed Farmer Hunt to take charge on’t for me. That’s ten year ago. Well, since then I’ve a-gone on pinchin’ an’ scrapin’, a shillin’ here, a sixpence there, till I’ve got together nigh upon ten pound more.”
“Well, I never heerd o’ such a thing!” exclaimed Simon heartily. “Ye must have been wonderful clever an’ contrivin’, Aunt Becky!”
“Ah, I’ll take that much credit to myself,” replied his aunt. “I do truly think I was. But there it be now, an’ it be all to go in a lump to one o’ you two. I mid as well tell you straight-out. ’Tis to go in a lump—Melmouth an’ me settled it that way. ‘We saved it between us, an’ you can leave it,’ he says, ‘either to my niece or to your nevvy—but it must go in a lump.’”
“Well, I’m sure!” said Simon; and then he looked dubiously at Rosy, who was holding her curly head very high. “’Twas very well said o’ the wold gentleman,” he continued lamely.