"Your oath be hanged," said I. "You must give the gold to the Mayor, who
knows that it was coming, and it will appear to the world, as though he
were giving it you now instead of leaving you anything."
"But it is ever so much too much!"
"It is not half enough. You and the Mayor must settle all that between
you. He and our father talked it all over, and this was what they
settled."
"And our father planned all this, without saying a word to me about it
while we were on our way up here?"
"Yes. There might have been some hitch in the gold's coming. Besides
the Mayor told him not to tell you."
"And he never said anything about the other money he left for me--which
enabled me to marry at once? Why was this?"
"Your mother said he was not to do so."
"Bless my heart, how they have duped me all round. But why would not my
mother let your father tell me? Oh yes--she was afraid I should tell the
King about it, as I certainly should, when I told him all the rest."
"Tell the King?" said I, "what have you been telling the King?"
"Everything; except about the nuggets and the sovereigns, of which I knew
nothing; and I have felt myself a blackguard ever since for not telling
him about these when he came up here last autumn--but I let the Mayor and
my mother talk me over, as I am afraid they will do again.
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