DEATH. 65 



was placed a chair, on which apparently she had just been 

 standing in order to reach one of the topmost drawers. In 

 one of her hands was firmly clenched a key. She was still 

 showing faint signs of animation ; but on an attempt of the 

 nurse to remove her to her bed, life departed with a heavy 

 groan. The key, which even in death had remained locked 

 in her cold grasp, was given to us the next morning by Tim's 

 attendant. It was that of the walnut-tree chest ; and no long 

 period elapsed before we were enabled to avail ourselves of 

 this unlooked-for means to ascertain the truth of the lad's 

 suspicion about his stolen property. On the drawers being 

 searched, there assuredly, in the one at top, was found the 

 miniature model of the Tomkins' Tomb, with the lock forced 

 off and one pinnacle deficient. There was no deficiency, 

 however, in the remnant of Tim's legacy, which, reduced to 

 the three pounds eighteen shillings he had left in the box on 

 the morning of St. John's day. remained there still ; nor was 

 this all, for in the same receptacle was found an old canvas 

 bag, containing a hundred and ten golden guineas the old 

 woman's hoardings, and on this was pinned a paper where- 

 on was scrawled, in tremulous, misshapen characters, but 

 sufficiently legible, the inscription " This is for Timothy 

 Tomlcins}' 



While under a visitation of compunctious fear perhaps, 

 also, of old Tomkins's upbraiding ghost she had doubtless 

 been urged to indite this compensatory document. To judge 



