“Yes!  I think so.  Where have you been keeping it?”

“Never you mind!” She went towards the study, but, thinking she might have been hard on her darling in refusing to gratify his curiosity, she turned back and said—­

“I say—­if thou wilt thou mayest do me a job of work some day.  I’m wanting a frame made for a piece of writing.”

And then she returned to go into the study, carrying her sovereigns in her apron.

“Here, Master Thurstan,” said she, pouring them out on the table before her astonished master.  “Take it, it’s all yours.”

“All mine!  What can you mean?” asked he, bewildered.

She did not hear him and went on—­

“Lock it up safe out o’ the way.  Dunnot go and leave it about to tempt folks.  I’ll not answer for myself if money’s left about.  I may be cribbing a sovereign.”

“But where does it come from?” said he.

“Come from!” she replied.  “Where does all money come from but the bank, to be sure.  I thought any one could tell that.”

“I have no money in the bank!” said he, more and more perplexed.

“No, I knowed that; but I had.  Dunnot ye remember how ye would raise my wage last Martinmas eighteen year?  You and Faith were very headstrong, but I was too deep for you.  See thee!  I went and put it i’ th’ bank.  I was never going to touch it; and if I had died it would have been all right, for I’d a will made, all regular and tight—­made by a lawyer (leastwise he would have been a lawyer if he hadn’t got transported first).  And now, thinks I, I think I’ll just go and get it out and give it ’em.  Banks is not always safe.”

“I’ll take care of it for you with the greatest pleasure.  Still, you know, banks allow interest.”

“D’ye suppose I don’t know all about interest and compound interest too by this time?  I tell ye I want ye to spend it.  It’s your own.  It’s not mine.  It always was yours.  Now you’re not going to fret me by saying you think it mine.”  Mr. Benson held out his hand to her, for he could not speak.  She bent forward to him as he sat there and kissed him.

“Eh, bless ye, lad!  It’s the first kiss I’ve had of ye sin’ ye were a little lad, and it’s a great refreshment.  Now don’t you and Faith go and bother me with talking about it.  It’s just yours, and make no more ado.”

She went back into the kitchen, and brought out her will, and gave Leonard directions how to make a frame for it; for the boy was a very tolerable joiner, and had a box of tools which Mr. Bradshaw had given him some years ago.

“It’s a pity to lose such fine writing,” said she; “though I can’t say as I can read it.  Perhaps you’d just read it for me, Leonard.”  She sat open-mouthed with admiration at all the long words.