d the way, which he did with due circumspection.
What all this underground space into which we were thus introduced had
ever been used for, it would be difficult to tell. At present it was
mostly empty. After passing a small collection of stores, a wine-cellar,
the very door of which was unhinged and lay across the cellar bottom, we
struck into a hollow void, in which there was nothing worth an instant's
investigation save the earth under our feet.

This the two foremost detectives examined very carefully, detaining us
often longer, I thought, than Mr. Gryce desired or Lucetta had patience
for. But nothing was said in protest nor did the older detective give an
order or manifest any special interest in the investigation till he saw
the men in front stoop and throw out of the way a coil of rope, when he
immediately hurried forward and called upon the party to stop.

The girls, who were on either side of me, crossed glances at this
command, and Lucetta, who had been tottering for the last few minutes,
fell upon her knees and hid her face in the hollow of her two hands.
Loreen came around and stood by her, and I do not know which of them
presented the most striking picture of despair, the shrinking Lucetta or
Loreen with her quivering form uplifted to meet the shafts of fate
without a droop of her eyelids or a murmur from her lips. The light of
the one lantern which, intentionally or unintentionally, was
concentrated on this pathetic group, made it stand out from the midst of
the surrounding darkness in a way to draw the gaze of Mr. Gryce upon
them. He looked, and his own brow became overcast. Evidently we were not
far from the cause of their fears.

Ordering the candle lifted, he surveyed the ceiling above, at which
Loreen's lips opened slightly in secret dread and amazement. Then he
commanded the men to move on slowly, while he himself looked overhead
rather than underneath, which seemed to astonish his associates, who
evidently had heard nothing of the hole which had been cut in the floor
of the Flower Parlor.

Suddenly I heard a slight gasp from Lucetta, who had not moved forward
with the rest of us. Then her rushing figure flew by us and took up its
stand by Mr. Gryce, who had himself paused and was pointing with an
imperious forefinger to the ground under his feet.

"You will dig here," said he, not heeding her, though I am sure he was
as well acquainted with her proximity as we.

"Dig?" repeated Loreen, in wha