wrapping. But by that time we were not thinking of their value; we were
screwing up our faces over a dark coagulation which caused the last yard
or so to break off in bits.

"Lace and blood and diamonds!" said Delavoye, bending over the relics in
grim absorption. "Could the priceless old sinner have left us a more
delightful legacy?"

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked rather nervously at that.
They had not been left to us. They ought surely to be delivered to their
rightful owner.

"But who does own them?" asked Delavoye. "Is it the worthy plutocrat
who's bought the show and all that in it is, or is it my own venerable
kith and kin? They wouldn't thank us for taking these rather dirty coals
to Newcastle. They might refuse delivery, or this old boy might claim
his mining rights, and where should we come in then? No, Gillon, I'm
sorry to disappoint you, but as a twig of the old tree I mean to take
the law into my own hands"--I held my breath--"and put these things back
exactly where we found them. Then we'll leave everything in plumb order,
and finish up by filling in that hole in our lawn--if ever we get out of
this one."

But small doubt on the point was implied in his buoyant tone; the way
through the panel just broached argued a similar catch in the one we
sought; meanwhile we closed up the other with much relief on my side and
an honest groan from Delavoye. It was sufficiently obvious that Sir
Christopher Stainsby had discovered neither the secret subway nor the
secret repository which we had penetrated by pure chance; on the other
hand, he made use of the chamber leading to both as a cigar cellar, and
had it kept in better order than such a purpose required. Sooner or
later somebody would touch a spring, and one discovery would lead to
another. So we consoled each other as we resumed our search, almost
forgetting that we ourselves might be discovered first.

It was in a providential pause, broken only to my ear by our quiet
movements, that Delavoye dabbed a quick hand on my candle and doused his
own against the wall. Without a whisper he drew me downward, and there
we cowered in throbbing darkness, but still not a sound that I could
hear outside my skin. Then the floor above opened a lighted mouth with a
gilded roof; black legs swung before our noses, found the step-ladder
and came running down. The cigars were on the opposite side. The man
knew all about them, found the right box without a light,