lculated the space they must hold; then measured all
the rooms and open places within the walls, allowing for all
partitions; and having again calculated, found the space fall short of
what they had from the outside measurements to expect; they must
conclude either that they had measured or calculated wrong, or that
there was space in the castle to which they had no access.

"But," continued Donal, when they had in a degree mastered the idea,
"if the thing was, to discover the room itself, I should set about it
in a different way; I should not care about the measuring. I would
begin and go all over the castle, first getting the outside shape right
in my head, and then fitting everything inside it into that shape of it
in my brain. If I came to a part I could not so fit at once, I would
examine that according to the rules I have given you, take exact
measurements of the angles and sides of the different rooms and
passages, and find whether these enclosed more space than I could at
once discover inside them.--But I need not follow the process farther:
pulling down might be the next thing, and we must not talk of that!"

"But the thing is worth doing, is it not, even if we do not go so far
as to pull down?"

"I think so."

"And I think my uncle will not object.--Say nothing about it though,
Davie, till we give you leave."

That we was pleasant in Donal's ears.

Lady Arctura rose, and they all went down together. When they reached
the hall, Davie ran to get his kite.

"But you have not told me why you would not have him speak of the
music," said Arctura, stopping at the foot of the great stair.

"Partly because, if we were to go on to make search for the room, it
ought to be kept as quiet as possible, and the talk about the one would
draw notice to the other; and partly because I have a hope that the one
may even guide us to the other."

"You will tell me about that afterwards," said Arctura, and went up the
stair.

That night the earl had another of his wandering fits; also all night
the wind blew from the south-east.

In the morning Arctura went to him with her proposal. The instant he
understood what she wished, his countenance grew black as thunder.

"What!" he cried, "you would go pulling the grand old bulk to pieces
for the sake of a foolish tale about the devil and a set of
cardplayers! By my soul, I'll be damned if you do!--Not while I'm above
ground at least! That's what comes of putting such a place