ome of us,
to take the matter in hand."'

Mr. Tallboys looked surprised.

"I do not quite understand, Mrs. Conway, how you can take it in hand."

"No? Well, I can tell you, Mr. Tallboys, that I am going to do so. I
am not going to sit down quietly and see my son robbed of his
inheritance. I have quite made up my mind to devote my life to this
matter, and I have come, not to ask your advice--for I dare say you
would try to dissuade me, and my resolution is unalterable--but to ask
you to give me what aid you can in the matter."

"I shall be glad to give you aid in any way, Mrs. Conway, if you will
point out to me the direction in which my assistance can be of use. I
suppose you have formed some sort of plan, for I own that I can see no
direction whatever in which you can set about the matter."

"My intention is, Mr. Tallboys, to search for this hiding-place
myself."

Mr. Tallboys raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"To search yourself, Mrs. Conway! But how do you propose to gain
admittance to the Hall, and how, even supposing that you gain
admittance, do you propose to do more than we have done, or even so
much; because any fresh disturbance of the fabric of the house would
be out of the question?"

"That I quite admit. Still we know there is the hiding-place, and it
is morally certain that that hiding-place is opened or approached by
the touching of some secret spring. It is not by pulling down
wainscoting or by pulling up floors, or by force used in any way, that
it is to be found. Mr. Penfold, it would seem, used it habitually as a
depository for papers of value. He certainly, therefore, had not to
break down or to pull up anything. He opened it as he would open any
other cabinet or cupboard, by means of a key or by touching a spring.
You agree with me so far, Mr. Tallboys?"

"Certainly, Mrs. Conway. There can be no doubt in my mind that this
hiding-place, whether a chamber or a small closet, is opened in the
way you speak of."

"Very well then; all that has to be looked for is a spring. No force
is requisite; all that is to be done is to find the spring."

"Yes, but how is it to be found? I believe we tried every square foot
of the building."

"I have no doubt you did, but it will be necessary to try every square
inch, I will not say of the whole building, but of certain rooms and
passages. I think we may assume that it is not in the upper rooms or
servants' quarters. Such a hiding-place would be contriv