"Yes, Stephen," resumed Mrs Gaff, going to the cupboard and fetching
the tea-caddy, from which she extracted her banker's book, "all them
things was bought for you with your own fortin', which is ten thousand
pound, (an' more, for I've not lived up to the interest by no manner o'
means); an' that there book'll show ye it's all true."
Having reached this point, Mrs Gaff was seized with a fit of laughter,
which she stifled on her husband's breast, and then, flinging herself
into the four-poster, she burst into a flood of tears.
This was the first time in her life that she had given way to such
weakness, and she afterwards said to Tottie, in reference to it, that
she couldn't help it, and had made up her mind to have a good cry once
for all, and be done with it.
Gaff and his son examined the bank-book, and listened with wonder to
Tottie's account of the manner in which their wealth had come to them.
Before the recital was completed, Mrs Gaff had had her cry out, and
dried her eyes.
"What think ye of that, Stephen?" she said, pointing to the book.
Gaff shook his head slowly, and looked very grave.
"I don't much like it, Jess."
"What, don't like money?"
"Too much of it is dangerous. I hope it won't harm us, lass."
"It's done no harm to me yet, as I knows of," said Mrs Gaff firmly.
"What says the Bible, Tot, about that?" asked Gaff. "Money's the root
o' all evil, an't it?"
"No, daddy, it's _the love_ o' money that's the root of all evil."
"Ah, to be sure. Well, there's a difference there. Hows'ever, we can't
help it, so we must larn to bear it. Come along now, Jess, and let us
have supper."
To supper they sat down, and long they sat over it, and a hearty one
they ate. It was not till they began to think of retiring for the night
that it was remembered that there was no possibility of putting up Billy
in the cottage, for Tottie occupied the closet of the "boodwar." The
Bu'ster relieved his parents from their difficulty, however, by
asserting that he had taken a wild desire to see Mad Haco that night;
so, declining the offer of a shake-down made up under the four-poster,
he started for Wreckumoft, and took up his quarters in the Sailors'
Home.