Before one of these cases the man knelt down, and applied a key to the
padlock which fastened it. He gave the candle to Lord Hartfield to hold,
and then opened the box. It seemed to be full of books, which he began
to remove, heaping them on the floor beside him; and it was not till he
had cleared away a layer of dingy volumes that he came to a large metal
strong box, so heavy that he could not lift it out of the chest.
Slowly, tremulously, and with quickened breathing, he unlocked the box
where it was, and raised the lid.
'Look,' he said eagerly, 'this is her legacy--this is my little girl's
legacy.'
Lord Hartfield bent down and looked at the old man's treasure, by the
wavering light of the candle; Mary looking over his shoulder, breathless
with wonder.
The strong box was divided into compartments. One, and the largest, was
filled with rouleaux of coin, packed as closely as possible. The others
contained jewels, set and unset--diamonds, emeralds, rubies,
sapphires--which flashed back the flickering flame of the candle with
glintings of rainbow light.
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