have worked on a swivel, for it had righted itself again, and was once
more closed above them.

Still half-dazed, the girls stood for a moment trying to recover their
scattered wits, too shaken and amazed even to speak.

"Well!" exclaimed Lindsay at last, with a volume of meaning in the
monosyllable.

"This is a house of surprises!" cried Cicely.

"Where are we?"

"How can I tell?"

"We seemed to tumble through the bottom of the settle."

"Yes, after you gave that great lurch to your end."

"We must be in another secret hiding-place."

"Then I vote we hunt about, and see what's in it."

One side of the small room was completely filled, as high as the
ceiling, with a pile of boxes. They seemed a very miscellaneous
collection. There were ancient hair trunks, such as were in use seventy
or eighty years ago, made of wood covered with cow hide, with the hair
left on; there were leather portmanteaux with strong brass corners, tin
trunks, and even plain wooden packing-cases. On the floor, and leaning
against the boxes, stood a row of fair-sized linen bags, and a couple of
larger sacks.

It seemed to the girls as if they must have penetrated to some forgotten
lumber room. Everything was thickly covered with the accumulated dirt
and cobwebs of years. They could have written their names in the dust.
As if she were moving in a dream, Lindsay stooped, and picked up one of
the linen bags.

"How heavy it is!" she said. "I wonder what's inside?"

"It feels like something hard," replied Cicely, pinching it critically
with her finger and thumb.

The mouth was secured by a cord, and Lindsay fumbled long trying to
untie the knot.

"Oh! don't bother over it; here's my penknife," cried Cicely, waxing
impatient.

In another moment she had cut the string, and a shower of golden
sovereigns came pouring out on to the floor. The two girls looked at
each other, with faces that were almost awe-stricken.

"Cicely!" said Lindsay solemnly. "I verily believe we have found Sir
Giles's fortune!"

A further examination established the matter beyond any doubt. The bags
were filled to the brim with gold pieces. In a state of intense
excitement the girls continued their investigations. The two large sacks
contained salvers, tankards, and goblets, dull and tarnished indeed, but
unmistakably of silver. It was difficult to get at the boxes, but they
managed to clamber up and open one at the top of the pile, disclosing
more silver artic