possible. Nora
actually had her hand on Beryl's foot without discovering the fact;
Effie crept inside a suit of armour, and baffled pursuit for ever so
long; and Marjorie was almost given up, but at length was discovered
crouching in a dark angle which the others had passed several times
without noticing her.

It was now the turn of Lindsay and Cicely to hide. They were determined
to choose a specially good place, and debated the point until the latter
grew impatient.

"Do be quick!" she exclaimed. "They'll soon have finished counting a
hundred."

"I can't make up my mind whether it's better behind the tapestry or
under the ottoman," deliberated Lindsay.

"Cuckoo!" cried Beryl's voice.

"They're coming! We've no time for either. We must get into the old
box-settle."

It was the only possible retreat near at hand. Already they could hear
the girls' footsteps creaking along the oaken boards of the picture
gallery; in another moment they would have turned into the passage, and
reached the top of the stairs. Without more ado both hiders scrambled
inside the settle, and pulled down the lid over their heads.

It was a very tight fit indeed for two, and most uncomfortable.

"Could you let me have an inch more room?" begged Cicely in an agonized
whisper.

"I'll try," returned Lindsay.

It was difficult to stir in such narrow quarters. To move at all, she
was obliged to make a vigorous heave towards her end of the chest. The
effect was as unexpected as extraordinary. Lo and behold! the entire
bottom of the settle seemed to give way, and without any warning the two
girls were precipitated into some unknown place below.

CHAPTER XVI

A Surprise

So sudden was their descent that Lindsay and Cicely had no time even to
cry out. They evidently had not fallen far, and though for a moment they
both thought they were killed, they soon found that beyond a few bruises
neither was hurt. They picked themselves up in a state of bewilderment,
and stared around them as if hardly realizing yet what had happened.

They were in a little low chamber about eight feet square. The walls
were of unpolished oak timbers, roughly plastered in between, and the
floor also was of oak beams. In one corner there was a tiny window,
covered with a mass of cobwebs, through which nevertheless came
sufficient light to enable them to see their surroundings. The trapdoor
in the ceiling, through which they had dropped so unexpectedly, must