Part 60 (2/2)

”Well, surely,” acquiesced Elizabeth, ”there is no harm in that.”

In the bedroom was an old oak chest, and this the farmer and his wife opened. To their surprise they found in it a silver teapot, and half a dozen silver spoons.

”Well, now,” exclaimed Elizabeth Hockin, ”fancy her havin' these--and me only Britannia metal.”

”I reckon she came of a good family,” said Jabez. ”Leastwise, I've heard as how she were once well off.”

”And look here!” exclaimed Elizabeth, ”there's fine and beautiful linen underneath--sheets and pillow-cases.”

”But look here!” cried Jabez, ”blessed if the taypot bain't chock-full o' money! Whereiver did she get it from?”

”Her's been in the way of showing folk the Zennor Quoit, visitors from St. Ives and Penzance, and she's had scores o' s.h.i.+llings that way.”

”Lord!” exclaimed Jabez. ”I wish she'd left it to me, and I could buy a cow; I want another cruel bad.”

”Ay, we do, terrible,” said Elizabeth. ”But just look to her bed, what torn and wretched linen be on that--and here these fine bedclothes all in the chest.”

”Who'll get the silver taypot and spoons, and the money?” inquired Jabez.

”Her had no kin--none but Rose Hext, and her couldn't abide her. Last words her said to me was that she'd 'have never naught to do wi' the Hexts, they and all their belongings.'”

”That was her last words?”

”The very last words her spoke to me--or to anyone.”

”Then,” said Jabez, ”I'll tell ye what, Elizabeth, it's our moral dooty to abide by the wishes of Aunt Joanna. It never does to go agin what is right. And as her expressed herself that strong, why us, as honest folks, must carry out her wishes, and see that none of all her savings go to them darned and dratted Hexts.”

”But who be they to go to, then?”

”Well--we'll see. Fust us will have her removed, and provide that her be daycent buried. Them Hexts be in a poor way, and couldn't afford the expense, and it do seem to me, Elizabeth, as it would be a liberal and a kindly act in us to take all the charges on ourselves. Us is the closest neighbours.”

”Ay--and her have had milk of me these ten or twelve years, and I've never charged her a penny, thinking her couldn't afford it. But her could, her were a-h.o.a.rdin' of her money--and not paying me. That were not honest, and what I say is, that I have a right to some of her savin's, to pay the milk bill--and it's b.u.t.ter I've let her have now and then in a liberal way.”

”Very well, Elizabeth. Fust of all, we'll take the silver taypot and the spoons wi' us, to get 'em out of harm's way.”

”And I'll carry the linen sheets and pillow-cases. My word!--why didn't she use 'em, instead of them rags?”

All Zennor declared that the Hockins were a most neighbourly and generous couple, when it was known that they took upon themselves to defray the funeral expenses.

Mrs. Hext came to the farm, and said that she was willing to do what she could, but Mrs. Hockin replied: ”My good Rose, it's no good. I seed your aunt when her was ailin', and nigh on death, and her laid it on me solemn as could be that we was to bury her, and that she'd have nothin'

to do wi' the Hexts at no price.”

Rose sighed, and went away.

Rose had not expected to receive anything from her aunt. She had never been allowed to look at the treasures in the oak chest. As far as she had been aware, Aunt Joanna had been extremely poor. But she remembered that the old woman had at one time befriended her, and she was ready to forgive the harsh treatment to which she had finally been subjected. In fact, she had repeatedly made overtures to her great-aunt to be reconciled, but these overtures had been always rejected. She was, accordingly, not surprised to learn from Mrs. Hockin that the old woman's last words had been as reported.

But, although disowned and disinherited, Rose, her husband, and children dressed in black, and were chief mourners at the funeral. Now it had so happened that when it came to the laying out of Aunt Joanna, Mrs. Hockin had looked at the beautiful linen sheets she had found in the oak chest, with the object of furnis.h.i.+ng the corpse with one as a winding-sheet.

But--she said to herself--it would really be a shame to spoil a pair, and where else could she get such fine and beautiful old linen as was this? So she put the sheets away, and furnished for the purpose a clean but coa.r.s.e and ragged sheet such as Aunt Joanna had in common use. That was good enough to moulder in the grave. It would be positively sinful, because wasteful, to give up to corruption and the worm such fine white linen as Aunt Joanna had h.o.a.rded. The funeral was conducted, otherwise, liberally. Aunt Joanna was given an elm, and not a mean deal board coffin, such as is provided for paupers; and a handsome escutcheon of white metal was put on the lid.

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