ive it a twist round.' I did, and lo and behold! a
little drawer jumped out at me from quite another part of the
secretaire.

'You see what's in it, Nelly?' says he.

It was a green leather case tied round with a bit of faded ribbon.

'Now, what I want you to do,' he says, 'is to lay that beside me
when it's all over. I have always had my doubts about the dead
sleeping so quiet as some folks say. But I think I shall sleep if
you lay that beside me, for I am very tired, Nelly,' he said, 'very
tired.'

Then I went back to his bed, where he lay looking quite calm and
comfortable.

'The end has come very suddenly,' says he; 'but it is best this
way.'

Then we was both quiet a bit.

'I may be wrong,' he went on presently, his face quite straight, but
a laugh in his blue eye. 'I may be wrong, Nelly, but I think you
would like to kiss me before I die--I know well enough you'll do it
after.'

And when he said that, I was glad I had never kissed another man.
And soon after that, it being the coldest hour of all the night, he
moved his head on his pillow and said--

'I'm off now, Nelly, but you needn't wake the doctors. It's very
dark outside. Hand me out, my girl, hand me out.' So I gave him my
hand, and he died holding it. Whether I grieved much or little over
my old master is no one's business but my own. I went about the
house, and I did my duty--ever since Master Jasper had been grown up
I had been housekeeper. I did my duty, I say, and before the coffin
lid was screwed down I laid that green leather case under the shroud
by my master's side; and just as I had done it I turned round
feeling that some one was in the room, and there stood young Master
Jasper at the door looking at me.

'All's ready now,' I said to the undertaker's men, and called them
in, and young Master Jasper, he followed me along the passage. 'What
were you doing?'

'I was putting something in the master's coffin he told me to put
there.'

'What was it?' he asked, very sharp and sudden.

'How should I know?' says I. 'It's in a case. It may be some old
letter or a lock of hair as belonged to your mother.'

'Come into my room,' he said, and I followed him in. He looked very
pale and anxious, and when he'd shut the door he spoke--

'Look here, Nelly, I'm going to trust you. My father was very angry
with me about some little follies of mine, and he told me the other
night he had left a good slice of the estate away from me. Do you
think