“But if you shall prefer a public inquiry, then publish this present writing in the local paper—­with these instructions added, to wit:  Thirty days from now, let the candidate appear at the town-hall at eight in the evening (Friday), and hand his remark, in a sealed envelope, to the Rev. Mr. Burgess (if he will be kind enough to act); and let Mr. Burgess there and then destroy the seals of the sack, open it, and see if the remark is correct:  if correct, let the money be delivered, with my sincere gratitude, to my benefactor thus identified.”

Mrs. Richards sat down, gently quivering with excitement, and was soon lost in thinkings—­after this pattern:  “What a strange thing it is! . . .  And what a fortune for that kind man who set his bread afloat upon the waters! . . .  If it had only been my husband that did it!—­for we are so poor, so old and poor! . . .”  Then, with a sigh—­“But it was not my Edward; no, it was not he that gave a stranger twenty dollars.  It is a pity too; I see it now. . . " Then, with a shudder—­“But it is gamblers’ money! the wages of sin; we couldn’t take it; we couldn’t touch it.  I don’t like to be near it; it seems a defilement.”  She moved to a farther chair. . .  “I wish Edward would come, and take it to the bank; a burglar might come at any moment; it is dreadful to be here all alone with it.”

At eleven Mr. Richards arrived, and while his wife was saying “I am so glad you’ve come!” he was saying, “I am so tired—­tired clear out; it is dreadful to be poor, and have to make these dismal journeys at my time of life.  Always at the grind, grind, grind, on a salary—­another man’s slave, and he sitting at home in his slippers, rich and comfortable.”

“I am so sorry for you, Edward, you know that; but be comforted; we have our livelihood; we have our good name—­”

“Yes, Mary, and that is everything.  Don’t mind my talk—­it’s just a moment’s irritation and doesn’t mean anything.  Kiss me—­there, it’s all gone now, and I am not complaining any more.  What have you been getting?  What’s in the sack?”

Then his wife told him the great secret.  It dazed him for a moment; then he said: 

“It weighs a hundred and sixty pounds?  Why, Mary, it’s for-ty thousand dollars—­think of it—­a whole fortune!  Not ten men in this village are worth that much.  Give me the paper.”

He skimmed through it and said: 

“Isn’t it an adventure!  Why, it’s a romance; it’s like the impossible things one reads about in books, and never sees in life.”  He was well stirred up now; cheerful, even gleeful.  He tapped his old wife on the cheek, and said humorously, “Why, we’re rich, Mary, rich; all we’ve got to do is to bury the money and burn the papers.  If the gambler ever comes to inquire, we’ll merely look coldly upon him and say:  ’What is this nonsense you are talking?  We have never heard of you and your sack of gold before;’ and then he would look foolish, and—­”