"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' shillings 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-hoardin' 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 butter 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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