After a little search I
discovered him standing with his back against a tree moodily chewing a
piece of straw.

"There is something the matter with you," I said. "Why won't you tell
me? Is it private?" My arm seemed naturally to slip through his as I
asked the question, and perhaps the action, simple as it was, gave him
a fresh assurance of my friendship, and influenced him to unburden
himself of what was on his mind.

"There's no harm in my telling you, Sylvester," he replied. "I know
you won't let it go any further. I'm upset by what's happened at home."

"Something that has happened since I stayed with you?" I asked.

"Well, yes," he answered--"that is, it's come to a head since your
visit. I daresay while you were with us you noticed that there was
something wrong, and that my mother often seemed worried and depressed.
It was not till after you'd gone that I found out what was really the
matter."

He paused as though expecting me to speak, but I made no interruption.

"As I've already told you, my father made a will about two years ago,"
continued Miles. "He signed it at Mr. Denny's office, and took it away
with him; but now it can't be found. My mother always thought that it
was in the secret drawer of the bureau; but it proved to be empty when
she went to look. Then, as I've mentioned before, the idea occurred to
her and Mr. Denny that it had been put away for safety in the secret
place. If that's the case, then goodness knows if either the papers or
the hidden chamber will ever be discovered. At least so far all
attempts have proved a failure. Mr. Denny even goes so far as to
suggest that the so-called hiding-place may be nothing but a small
cavity in the wall behind some sliding panel; though he admits that,
from a remark he once heard my father make, he had always believed it
was a place large enough to conceal a man. If it's only a little hole
somewhere in the stonework, we might pull the house down before we
found it."

"But see here," I interrupted. "I don't understand anything about
lawyers' business; but even if your father's will were lost, I suppose
the property will come to you all the same, seeing that you are his
only son."

"Wait a moment till I have finished the story," continued my companion.
"When I talked to you about this once before, I described how my uncle
came to Coverthorne soon after my father's funeral, and spoke to my
mother about a secret reconciliation between