far as I could judge, from the direction of the
very room which is supposed to be particularly favoured by the ghost.
It was like some one rapping slowly and deliberately with his knuckles
on the panel of a door. I stood irresolute and holding my breath; then
I heard something tinkle like metal falling on stone. That seemed to
break the spell, and my heart beat fast. I no longer feared a ghost,
but thought it must be robbers. What I intended doing I hardly know,
but I think I must have had some vague idea of trying to slip across
the kitchen to the servants' quarters, and there rouse the men. I went
slowly and carefully down the stairs, my bare feet making no sound.
The knocking was repeated. I could tell now exactly from what part of
the house it came, and a strong desire seized me to get a sight of the
thieves and see what they were about. Old houses like ours have all
kinds of funny twists and turns. I crept along to one of these, and
peeped round the corner. What I saw astonished me more than if I had
been confronted by a whole band of robbers. I was looking down a long,
narrow passage, the walls of which are panelled with oak: at the
farther end stood my mother and Mr. Denny. She was carrying a candle,
while he held in his hands a hammer and small chisel; the latter it was
which he must have dropped a few moments before, when I heard the chink
of its fall on the flagstones. What they were doing I could not
imagine. I saw Mr. Denny rap on the wall with the handle of the
hammer, at the same time turning his ear to listen, as though he almost
expected some one on the other side of the panelling to say 'Come in!'
Then it dawned on me in a moment that they were searching for the
secret place."

Miles paused as he said this, and I listened breathlessly for what was
coming next.

"Of course," continued my companion, "I guessed at once that my mother
and Mr. Denny were searching then, instead of in the daytime, because
they thought it best for the servants not to see and go gossiping in
the village. As they evidently did not want me with them, I turned and
crept quietly back to bed again; but I couldn't help lying awake
listening for the tap of the hammer, and from that I knew they
continued searching most of the night. Try as I would, I could not
rest till my curiosity was in some measure satisfied; so on the
following day, after Mr. Denny had gone back home, I told my mother
what I knew, and begged her