She had become very deaf; yet she was uneasy and jealous if she were not informed of all the family thoughts, plans, and proceedings, which often had (however private in their details) to be shouted to her at the full pitch of the voice. But she always heard Leonard perfectly. His clear and bell-like voice, which was similar to his mother's till sorrow had taken the ring out of it, was sure to be heard by the old servant, though every one else had failed. Sometimes, however, she "got her hearing sudden,"as she phrased it, and was alive to every word and noise, more particularly when they did not want her to hear; and at such times she resented their continuance of the habit of speaking loud as a mortal offence. One day, her indignation at being thought deaf called out one of the rare smiles on Leonard's face; she saw it, and said, "Bless thee, lad; if it but amuses thee, they may shout through a ram's horn to me, and I'll never let on I'm not deaf. It's as good a use as I can be of," she continued to herself, "if I can make that poor lad smile a bit." If she expected to be everybody's confidant, she made Leonard hers. "There!"said she, when she came home from her marketing one Saturday night, "look here, lad! Here's forty-two pound, seven shillings and twopence! It's a mint of money, isn't it? I took it all in sovereigns for fear of fire." "What is it all for, Sally?" said he. "Ay, lad! that's asking. It's Mr. Benson's money," said she mysteriously, "that I've been keeping for him. Is he in the study, think ye?" "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. Iwas 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. The frame was made, and the will hung up opposite to her bed, unknown to any one but Leonard; and, by dint of his repeated reading it over to her, she learnt all the words, except "testatrix" which she would always call "testy tricks." Mr. Benson had been too much gratified and touched, by her unconditional gift of all she had in the world, to reject it; but he only held it in his hands as a deposit until he could find a safe investment befitting so small a sum. The little rearrangements of the household expenditure had not touched him as they had done the women. He was aware that meat-dinners were not now everyday occurrences; but he preferred puddings and vegetables, and was glad of the exchange. He observed, too, that they all sat together in the kitchen in the evenings; but the kitchen, with the well-scoured dresser, the shining saucepans, the well-blacked grate, and whitened hearth, and the warmth which seemed to rise up from the very flags, and ruddily cheer the most distant corners, appeared a very cosy and charming sitting-room;and, besides, it appeared but right that Sally, in her old age, should have the companionship of those with whom she had lived in love and faithfulness so many years. He only wished he could more frequently leave the solitary comfort of his study, and join the kitchen party; where Sally sat as mistress in the chimney corner, knitting by firelight, and Miss Benson and Ruth, with the candle between them, stitched away at their work; while Leonard strewed the ample dresser with his slate and books. He did not mope and pine over his lessons; they were the one thing that took him out of himself.
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