The news went through the town in two minutes. Many people ran to the house. Some men were still putting on their coats as they ran. Soon, a large crowd stood in the street. Everyone wanted to see the two brothers from England.
Mary Jane Wilks and her sisters stood in the door. Mary Jane Wilks was very beautiful. She was very happy to see her uncles. The King opened his arms. Mary Jane Wilks ran to him and hugged him. The other sisters hugged The Duke. Many women in the crowd cried because they were happy for the girls.
The King and The Duke saw the coffin (a wooden box for a dead person). It was in the corner of the room. The two men walked slowly and sadly toward it. The crowd became very quiet. The King and The Duke looked inside the coffin. Then they began to cry very loudly.
They put their arms around each other. They cried for several minutes. Then they knelt down by the coffin. They put their heads on the wood and prayed. Everyone in the room began to cry too. The women kissed the girls and looked at the sky. Huck thought it was a very dishonest scene.
The King stood up and gave a speech. He cried while he spoke. He said he was very sad because his brother died. He thanked the people for their kindness. He said their tears were holy. It was a long and silly speech.
After the speech, the people sang a song together. The music was very loud and powerful. Huck liked the music. He thought it was more honest than the speech.
The King spoke again. He invited some close friends to have supper. He used the names he learned from the young man on the boat. He invited a preacher and a doctor. He also invited a lawyer and their wives.
Most of these friends were there. They shook hands with The King. The Duke did not speak. He made sounds like a baby and used his hands to talk. The King talked about many small things in the town. He lied and said he knew these things from Peter’s letters.
Mary Jane Wilks brought a letter from her father. The King read it out loud. The letter said the girls got the house and three thousand dollars in gold. The King and The Duke got the tanyard (a place where animal skins are made into leather). They also got some other houses and three thousand dollars in gold.
The letter said there was six thousand dollars in the cellar (a room under a house). The King and The Duke went downstairs to find it. They took Huck with them. They found the bag of gold and poured it on the floor. The gold was yellow and beautiful. The King was very happy.
They counted the money. It was not six thousand dollars. It was four hundred and fifteen dollars short. The King was worried. He wanted everything to look perfect. He did not want the people to be suspicious.
The Duke had an idea. They used their own gold from the other town to make it six thousand dollars. Now the bag was full. Then The Duke had another idea. He said they should give all the money to the girls. They wanted to show everyone they were good men.
They went upstairs with the gold. The King stood before the crowd. He called the girls "poor little lambs." He said he and The Duke did not want the money. He gave the whole six thousand dollars to Mary Jane Wilks.
The sisters were very happy. They hugged The King and The Duke again. Everyone in the room clapped. They thought the two men were very kind and generous.
Suddenly, a tall man with a strong face arrived. This was Doctor Robinson. He was a friend of Peter Wilks. He listened to The King. Then the doctor laughed at him.
The doctor said The King was a fraud (a person who lies to steal money). He said The King’s English accent was very bad. He told the people that the two men were liars.
The people were shocked. They told the doctor he was wrong. They said The King knew everyone's name. But the doctor did not listen. He told Mary Jane Wilks to send the men away. He said the two men were dangerous.
Mary Jane Wilks stood up. She looked very proud. She picked up the bag of gold. She gave it back to The King. She told him to keep the money for her. She did not believe the doctor.
Everyone clapped and cheered for Mary Jane Wilks. The King smiled. Doctor Robinson was very angry. He told the people they would be sorry later. Then the doctor left the house.