nica's agitation, when she heard that her uncle's legacy had been
found, was extreme. At first she refused to believe it; but when she was
told the story of Lindsay's and Cicely's strange adventure, she began
slowly to realize that it was no fairy tale, and that the fortune, so
sorely needed and so much longed for, was lying awaiting her disposal.

"The money is there, and I can have some of it now?" she asked, still
almost incredulously. "Will there be as much as a hundred guineas?"

"Far more than that, my dear, from the girls' account."

"Then we can send for Sir William Garrett!" she said, with a sigh of
intense relief.

Miss Russell, who did not like the responsibility of being even a
temporary custodian of such riches, had informed the Rector of what had
occurred, and requested him to come to the Manor and help her to
investigate the matter. As he was Monica's guardian, he seemed the
proper person to take charge of her affairs. He arrived next morning,
and, accompanied by Miss Russell and Monica, made a careful examination
of the hiding-place and its contents. At the mistress's urgent request,
he promised to arrange that all the valuables should be removed as
speedily as possible to the bank.

"I could not sleep with them in the house, I should be so afraid of
burglars, now the news of the discovery has been spread abroad,"
declared Miss Russell.

"They were only too safe here," said Monica.

"Yes, when their whereabouts was a mystery. It is different when
everyone knows."

The wealth which old Sir Giles had stored in the secret room was
considerable. He had evidently distrusted investments, and, following
his own singular whim, had hoarded his money in gold and bank notes.
There were precious stones also, in themselves worth a small fortune,
which he must have collected, in addition to the family jewels and the
old silver plate that had been handed down through generations of
Courtenays.

After looking through some of the boxes, the Rector picked up the
casket, and made a short scrutiny of its contents.

"This envelope is addressed to you, Monica," he observed.

The girl took it hesitatingly, then passed it back to her guardian.

"It seems like a message from the dead," she said. "I think, please, I
would rather that you should read it aloud."

The letter was well in keeping with its writer's eccentric and morbid
character. It ran thus:--

"MY DEAR MONICA,

"Gold, silver, and precio