“You’ve forgotten the bag, ma’am,” said the Captain, drawing his chair nearer the table.
“So I have; dear me, what is it?” cried Mrs Roby, taking it up. “It’s heavy.”
“Gold!” said the Captain.
“Gold?” exclaimed the old nurse.
“Ay, nuggets,” said the seaman, opening it and emptying its contents on the table.
As the old nurse gazed on the yellow heap her black eyes glittered with pleasure, as though they had derived additional lustre from the precious metal, and she drew them towards her with a trembling, almost greedy, motion, at sight of which Captain Wopper’s countenance became troubled.
“And did Willie send this to me, dear boy?”
“He did, ma’am, hoping that it would be of use in the way of making your home more comfortable, and enabling you to keep a better table.”
He glanced uneasily round the poor room and at the small loaf as he spoke, and the old woman observed the glance.
“It is very kind of him, very kind,” continued Mrs Roby. “What may it be worth, now?”