"Dear me," says Mr. Vetch, getting up from his seat. "I knew
nothing of it."
He goes to the broken panel, brings out the paper, and as he looked
at it turned so ghastly pale that Mr. Pinhorn clutched a decanter
of brandy and began to pour some of it into a glass. We were all
struck silent with wonderment; even Mistress Vetch being tongue
tied. Then Mr. Vetch turned to me and, holding out the paper with
trembling hand, tears standing in his eyes, said:
"God be thanked for all His mercies!"
'Twas my father's will, dusty, gnawed at the edges, but indubitably
the will which had disappeared seven years before. Remembering the
hiding place in which Cyrus had secreted the money at Penolver, it
was no mystery to me that he should have fashioned a similar
receptacle for the will he had purloined.
There is no need to tell of the congratulations showered upon me;
My hand was wrung by my kind neighbors until it tingled with
numbness. Mistress Vetch fell into hysterics--mercilessly ignored
by Mr. Pinhorn. And as for Captain Galsworthy, he seemed incapable
of doing anything but repeat his question, chuckling aloud "Can
anyone tell me why 'tis called the funny bone?"
The party soon broke up, to carry the news far and wide through
Shrewsbury. And I, after an affecting five minutes with the lawyer,
suddenly stuffed the paper in my pocket, flung on my hat, and ran
out with furious haste to saddle my horse. Mistress Vetch came to
the door as I mounted.
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