Slowly, Old Mrs White went back into the house. Her husband looked up and saw something strange in her face.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Nothing," his wife answered, and she sat down to finish her breakfast. She began to think about Tom Morris again and suddenly she said to her husband, "Your friend drank a lot of whisky last night! A monkey's paw! What a story!"

"But it didn't come this morning," her husband answered. "Let's forget it!"

Mr White did not answer her because just then the post man arrived. He brought two letters for them -- but there was no money in them. After breakfast the two old people forgot about the money and the monkey's paw.

"You drank a lot of whisky last night. Perhaps the paw didn't move," Mrs White answered.

"That thirty thousand pounds," Mrs White said, "we need it!"

Later in the day, at about one o'clock, Mr and Mrs White sat down to eat and then they began to talk about money again. They did not have very much money, so they often needed to talk about it.

Then he said, "But that thing moved. The monkey's paw moved in my hand! Tom's story was true!"

"Come and sit down! Finish eating!" Mr White said.

The tall, well-dressed stranger stood there. For a minute he said nothing, but then he began,"Good afternoon. I'm looking for Mr and Mrs White. "

The old woman did not listen to her husband. "He isn't going away," she went on. "He's coming back. I don't know him -- he's a stranger. Yes, he's very well-dressed…" suddenly Mrs White stopped. She was very excited. "He's coming to the door… Perhaps he's bringing the money!"

"There's a man in front of our house," Mrs White answered. "He's a stranger -- very tall -- and well-dressed. He's looking at our house… Oh, no… it's OK… He's going away…"

At first the stranger did not answer, but then he said, "Mrs White, I'm from Maw and Meggins. Can I come in and talk to you?"

"What's the matter?" her husband asked.

And she ran out of the room to open the front door.

At first his wife did not answer, but then she said, "Well, Herbert laughed about it…"

Suddenly she stopped talking. She stood up and went over to the window.

"Well, I'm Mrs White," the old woman answered. "What can I do for you?"

"It moved!" Mr White cried angrily.

"What's the matter? Is Herbert OK?" Mrs White cried a gain.

"Is he in hospital? the old woman asked, very afraid now.

"I'm very sorry," the man from Maw and Meggins began. He stopped for a minute and then he began again. "I'm very sorry, but this morning there was an accident at the factory…"

"Please, tell us!" he said.

"Yes, of course," Mrs White answered. "Please come in."

The stranger did not look at their faces -- and Mr White began to be afraid too.

"Please sit down," Mr White began, but now his wife could not wait.

Maw and Meggins had a big factory and Herbert White worked there on the machinery.

"Are you Mr White?" the stranger began. Then he went on,"I'm from Maw and Meggins. "

The well-dressed stranger came into the little living-room and Mr White stood up.

Mrs White looked at the stranger and she thought, "Perhaps he has the money… but why Maw and Meggins? And his face is very unhappy… Why?" suddenly the old woman was afraid.

"What's the matter?" she cried. "Is Herbert…" she could not finish the question.

"Well…" the man began slowly.

For a minute or two the room was quiet. At last Mrs White said, "Our son! Dead! We're never going to see him again. What are we going to do without him?"

"Yes, but…" the stranger looked at Mrs White's face and stopped.

"Dead!" Mrs White cried. "Oh no… please… not dead! Not Herbert! Not our son!"

Suddenly the old woman stopped because she saw the stranger's face. Then the two old people knew. Their son was dead! Old Mrs White began to cry quietly and Mr White put his arm round her.

Her husband said, "He was our son. We loved him."

"Is he dead? Is Herbert dead?" Mr White asked quietly.

Some time later the man from Maw and Meggins said, "It was the machinery -- an accident Herbert called, 'Help!'. The men heard him -- and ran to him quickly, but they could do nothing. The next minute he was in the machinery. I'm very, very sorry," he finished.

Then Mrs White asked the stranger, "Can we see him? Can we see our son? Please take me to him. I want to see my son."

But the stranger answered quickly, "No!" he said. "It's better not to see him. They couldn't stop the machinery quickly. He was in there for a long time. And at first they couldn't get him out. He was…" the man stopped. Then he said, "Don't go to see him!"

The stranger went over to the window because he did not want to see the faces of the two old people. He said nothing, but he stood there for some time and he waited.

Then he went back to the old people and began to talk again. "There's one more thing," he said. "Your son worked for Maw and Meggins for six years and he was a good worker. Now Maw and Meggins want to help you at this unhappy time." Again the stranger stopped. After a minute he began again. "Maw and Meggins want to give you some money." Then he put something into Mr White's hand.

Old Mr White did not look at the money in his hand. Slowly he stood up and looked at the stranger, afraid. "How much?" Mr White asked, very quietly. He did not want to hear the answer.

"Thirty thousand pounds," the stranger said.