and almost
immediately. You may think how sad that errand is for us when I tell
you that we go to prove the late Major Hymen's will. But I dare to
hope you will understand that our feelings are not wholly tinged with
gloom when you hear the provisions of that document, which I will now
ask my friend Mr. Chinn to read aloud to you."

And this is the substance of what Lawyer Chinn read:

To his kinswoman Miss Martha Hymen, the Major left a life
interest in the sum of five thousand pounds, invested in
Government stock.

To his faithful servant Scipio Johnston the sum of one hundred
and fifty pounds. To his servant Caius Tamblyn, fifty pounds.

To each member of the Corporation of the Borough of Troy holding
office at the time of his death, five pounds to buy a mourning
ring.

To the Town Clerk the same, and to Mr. Jago, Town Constable, the
same.

To the Honourable and Gallant Corps of the Troy Volunteer
Artillery, nineteen guineas, to purchase two standards, to be
borne by them on all occasions of ceremony.

To the Vicar and Churchwardens, two hundred pounds, the interest
to be distributed annually among the poor of the Parish, on
Easter Day.

To the Feoffees and Governors of the Free Grammar School, a like
sum to be spent in renovating the building, and a further sum of
one thousand pounds to be invested for the maintenance, clothing
and education of ten poor boys of the Borough.

To the Vicar and Dr. Hansombody, his executors, fifty pounds
apiece.

And lastly, the residue of his estate (some four thousand
pounds), together with the five thousand pounds reverting on his
kinswoman's death, to the Mayor and Corporation, to build and
endow a Hospital for the relief of the sick; the same to be
known as the Hymen Hospital, 'in the hope that the name of one
who left no heirs may yet be preserved a while by the continuity
of human suffering.'

At the conclusion of Lawyer Chinn's reading it is not too much to say
that all his audience caught their breaths. They had known the Major
to be a great man: but not till now--not perhaps until that last
solemn sentence fell on their ears--had they understood his
greatness.

I have heard that the silence which followed was broken by a sob.
Certainly the meeting dispersed in choking silence.

At length Troy realised its loss.