Scarlett uttered a cry.
"What's the matter?"
"Something has got hold of my jerkin."
Fred burst out laughing.
"Why, it's only that knob. Meant to open the stair from inside, Isuppose."
_Crick-crack_! The board was drawn back into its place, and the boyswent slowly down into the hall.
"Why, Scar, you look quite white."
"Do I? So do you," was the reply. "Look, we're covered with dust.Come along, and let's go to my room and have a wash."
"And then we can sit down and talk about it."
Scarlett nodded; and once more ascending the stairs, they passed overthe secret entry, unlocked the door in the corridor, and enteredScarlett's bedchamber, where it took some time to get rid of the marksof their journey. After which they sat down in the sunshine by the openwindow, to discuss their find, and settle two or three points inconnection therewith.
CHAPTER FOUR.
"GOD SAVE THE KING!"
"Seems queer now," said Fred, as they gazed down into the garden, "thatwe could have felt so scared."
Scarlett was silent.
"What are you thinking about!"
"Whether I oughtn't to tell father about that place."
"I suppose you ought," said Fred, after a pause; "but if you do, weshall have no more fun."
"I didn't see any fun in it," said Scarlett, slowly.
"Not then; but see what we could do with a secret place of our own toretreat to whenever we liked, and no one knowing where we had gone. Isay, don't tell anybody."
"But I feel as if I ought to tell my father, as it's his place."
"Yes, I suppose you ought; but let's wait a bit first."
"Well, we might wait a little while. I say, Fred, what cowards wewere!"
"But it was so dark, and I couldn't help thinking that we might neverfind our way out."
"Yes; that's just how I felt, and as if something was coming after usout of the darkness."
"And, of course, there couldn't be anything. You could see by the duston the steps that nobody had been there for years and years."
There was a long silence here, during which the two lads looked out atthe garden flooded with sunshine, where Nat was working verydeliberately close by the sun-dial. And beyond him, at the lake, fromwhich the sunbeams flashed whenever a fish or water-fowl disturbed thesurface.
"I say," said Fred at last, "don't let's sit here any longer. You're asdull as if you had no tongue. What are you thinking about now?"
"I was wondering whether I shall be such a coward when I grow up to be aman."
"I say, Scar, don't keep on talking like that; it's just as if you kepton calling me a coward too."
"So you were."
"No, I was not; but it was enough to frighten anybody. It was all sodark and strange."
"Should you be afraid to go again?"
"No," said Fred, stoutly.
"Will you go, then?"
"What, alone?"
"No; both together."
"I'll go, if you will. When shall we go?"
"Now," said Scarlett, firmly.
"Now?"
"Yes. I want to know where that place leads to; and I don't like tofeel that we were frightened because it was dark. Come along."
"What now--directly?"
"Yes; you're not afraid, are you?"
"No," cried Fred, starting up. "Get two candles this time, and we'lltake one apiece."
The lights were obtained, the door at the end of the passage bolted, andonce more the two boys stood at the top of the staircase.
"Think we had better go now?" said Fred.
"Yes; we may not have such a chance again for ever so long. Do you feelafraid?"
"Not exactly afraid; only as if I didn't want to go. I'm not so braveas you are, Scar."
This last was said with a bit of a sneer, which made the boy wince, andthen draw himself up proudly.
"I'm not brave," he said, "for I feel as if I'd give anything not to go;but it seems to me as if it would be very cowardly to give up, and Imean to go."
He seized the balustrade as he spoke, gave it a wrench, the stair shotfrom its fastening, was pushed back, and without another word Scarlettthrust in his lighted candle, followed it, and Fred stood looking in ashis companion gradually disappeared.
"Come along, Fred," came in muffled tones from beneath the landing; and,uttering a sigh, Fred thrust in his candlestick and followed, to rise,after a slow horizontal progress, to a perpendicular position, behindhis leader.
The way seemed far easier now, and in a very few minutes they werestanding again in the chamber, where they paused for a few momentsbefore Scarlett drew open the panelled door in the corner, and once moreheld the light above his head as he gazed down the mysterious stairs.
"Shall I go first?" asked Fred, in a voice which invited a refusal ofhis services.
"No; it's our place, and I'll lead," was the reply.
"Don't put the candle out again," said Fred, with a sigh of relief, andspeaking in warning tones. "I say, Scar, perhaps there's a place likethis at the Manor."
"We'll see, when we've found out all about this," replied Scarlett, ashe began to descend, while Fred followed closely, the two lights makingtheir task easier, while their confidence began now to increase as theyencountered no danger.
The foot of the steps was reached in safety, the candle being held lowdown, so as to guard against any pitfall or fresh flight of stairs inthe way.
But all was perfectly level as the boys went on along the narrow,arched-over passage, their light footfalls sending on before them acurious series of reverberations, while their progress for quite ahundred yards was singularly monotonous and uneventful.
"Why, how far does it go?" said Fred at last, becoming bolder now, butfeeling startled as he heard his words go whispering away.
"Very little farther. Look!"
The lights were held up, and they stopped short, for a few yards beforethem was a narrow, nail-studded door, very similar to the one leadinginto the chamber, but heavier looking, and with a great rusty bolt attop and bottom.
"That's the end of it, then," said Fred. "I say, I know what it is.That's the vault where they used to bury the old Markhams."
"That it can't be, for they were all buried at the church."
"Well, it looks like it," said Fred. "Shall we go any farther?"
"Yes, of course. I want to see what's behind the door."
Nerving himself to the effort, Scarlett stepped over the interveningspace, and took hold of the top bolt, which, like its fellow, was shotinto a socket in the stone wall.
But the bolt was rusted to the staples, and he could not move it withone hand.
"Hold the light, Fred," he exclaimed; and his companion stood behindhim, bearing both candles, as Scarlett tugged and strained and wrenchedvainly at the corroded iron.
"Wants a hammer to start it," said Fred, as the interest in theseproceedings drove away the sensations of nervousness. "Shall we go backand fetch one?"
"I'm--afraid--we shall have to," panted Scarlett, as he toiled andstrained at the stubborn bolt. "It's of no use to try and--"
There was a sharp creak, the bolt gave way a little, and the rest wasonly a work of time, for by wriggling it up and down the rust was groundout, and at last it yielded and was drawn back.
"Let me have a try at the other," cried Fred; and Scarlett squeezed byhim and took the candles, to stand, hot and panting, watching intentlywhile his companion attacked the lower bolt.
This was even more compactly fixed than the other; but the thumb-piecewas projecting, and Fred began on this with his foot, kicking it upwardwith his toe, and stamping it down again, till it gradually loosened,and, after a little more working, shot back with ease.
Fred drew away from the door then, and looked at his companion.
"Shall we open it now?" he said, with his old hesitation returning.
Scarlett did not answer for a few moments.
&nb
sp; "Think it is a tomb?" he said.
"You said it was not," replied Fred.
"It would be very horrible if it is; I shouldn't like to look in."
The door opened from them, and, as they stood there, they could see thatit had given a little, so that the edge was nearly half an inch from thestonework, and a faint, damp odour reached their nostrils.
"Don't let's be cowards," cried Fred; and, raising one foot, he placedit against the door, gave a hard thrust, and started back so suddenlythat he