nearly overset Scarlett with the lights.
But the door did not fly open. It only yielded a few inches, the hingesgiving forth a dismal, grating sound, and for a few moments the boysstood hesitating.
"I don't care," cried Fred, excitedly. "I mean to have it open now;"and he rushed at the door, and thrust and drove, each effort moving it alittle more and a little more, the ironwork yielding with groan aftergroan, as if it were remonstrating for being roused from a long, longsleep, till the door struck against the wall with an echoing bang; andonce more the boys hesitated.
But there was nothing to alarm them. The heavy, dank odour came moreplainly, and, after a few minutes, Fred took one of the candles andadvanced into a stone vault about a dozen feet square, with a very low,arched doorway opposite to them, and another flight of steps descendinginto darkness, while on one side lay a little heap of rusty iron in thelast stages of decay.
"Why, the place is nothing but passages and cellars," cried Fred.
"This must be the end, though," replied Scarlett, eagerly. "We havecome a good way, and there should be a door at the bottom of thesestairs leading into the park."
"Let's come and see, then," cried Fred, advancing boldly enough now."What fun if we've found another way into the--Here, Scar, look, look!"
The boy had stopped half a dozen steps down, and he was stooping andholding the candle as far as he could stretch as Scarlett reached hisside.
"Water?"
"Yes; water."
"What is it--a well?"
"I don't know. We could soon tell, if we had a stick. Here! what arethose at the side?"
They went back to the heap of old iron, and to their surprise found thatit was a collection of old arms and armour, rusted almost beyondrecognition.
From this heap they dragged a long sword, one which must have beenheavy, but which was now little better than a thin collection of scales.
"This will do," said Fred, returning to the farther doorway, anddescending till he was on the lowest step, where, reaching out, he triedto sound the depth.
This proved an easy task, for, as near as they could make out, the waterwas about a yard deep, and the steps went to the bottom, where all waslevel ground.
They stretched out the lights, and gazed before them to where theretreating passage grew lower and lower, till the top of the arch seemedto have dipped down and touched the black water; and having satisfiedthemselves that no farther progress could be made, Fred turned and said,as he rubbed one ear--
"Now, if we were fishes or water-rats, we might find out some more.But, I say, Scar, we've taken a deal of trouble to find out verylittle."
"I think we've found out a great deal," replied Scarlett. "This is nowell. It's the edge of the lake, and this--"
"Nonsense!"
"I feel sure it is, and this must be a secret way into the house, hiddenunder water. Fred, we must have a search outside, and see if we can'tfind the place."
"Then you will not stay here any longer?" said Fred, throwing down thesword upon the rusty heap.
"No; let's go back now. We have found out a very curious thing; and ifwe can discover the way in from outside, it will be splendid."
"Come along, then," replied Fred, crossing to the heap of old armour,and stooping over it, candle in hand. "But I wonder how old thesethings are. Do you think we could clean the armour, and make it lookbright again?"
Scarlett shook his head as he picked up the remains of an old helmet.
"It must have been a time of war when this house was built," he saidthoughtfully; "and the secret passage was forgotten when it became atime of peace."
"But it is not a time of peace now, is it? I heard that there wouldvery likely be war."
"Who told you that?"
"I heard your father and my father talking about it; and they both grewcross, and your father soon got up and went home."
"Then your father must have said something he did not like against theking."
"My father does not like the king," said Fred, sharply.
"And my father does," cried Scarlett, with a flash of the eye.
"Oh, never mind about that now," said Fred, looking at his old companionin a troubled manner. "What has it got to do with us? What shall we donow?"
"Go back," replied Scarlett; "for we cannot get any farther along here.I say, Fred, it does not seem such a terrible place now you are used toit, does it?"
"Terrible!" cried Fred, stoutly. "Why, I like it. Don't, pray don't,tell anybody about it, and we can have fine games here. It's ever somuch better than a cave, and we can smuggle all sorts of things up here.I mean up there in that room."
"Yes, if I don't tell my father about it."
"Oh, don't tell him yet! not till we're tired of it. Then I don'tmind."
Scarlett made no reply, but holding his candle above his head, went outof the vault, stopping afterwards while Fred drew to the door. Then,with the ease begotten of use, they went along the tunnel, up the stepsto the chamber, and then along the passages to the great staircase,lying down and rolling themselves over, and emerging to listen intentlybefore closing the opening, and hurrying to Scarlett's room for anotherwash and clearance of the cobwebs and dust.
This done, they hurried out, full of eagerness to run down to the sideof the great lake, where they fully expected to find the opening atonce.
Failing in this, they stopped by a sandy bank, and, taking a piece ofstick, Fred set to work to sketch on the sand a plan of theirwanderings.
"You see, we started from here, Scar; then we went off so far to theleft, then to the right, then to the left again, and then up into thechamber. Then we went out of the right-hand corner, and down that longflight of stairs to the passage, which led straight away to the vault,and down into the water."
"Well?" said Scarlett, coolly.
"Yes, of course, I see it now. Then, according to my plan, the way intothe lake must be just under where we are sitting."
"Where is it, then?"
Fred looked up at his companion, rubbed his ear again, and then lookeddown at the water's edge.
"It must be here somewhere," he said. "Let's have another look round."
Scarlett rose to his feet from where he had been lying, and they oncemore searched the side of the lake, which toward the house was deep anddark below its high bank.
There were places where it might be possible for a tunnel to run downinto the water, shady spots where willows and alders overhung the lake;places where birch and hazels grew close up to the patches of rushes andreed-mace, with its tall broken pokers standing high above the wavingleaves.
In one indentation--a spot where the flat-bottomed boat lay moored--Scarlett felt certain that they had found the entrance; but when theylay flat on the overhanging bank and peered down below, there wasnothing to be seen but black leaves and dead branches far below, whilein mid-water, bar-sided perch in golden green armour, floated slowly toand fro, seeming to watch the movements of sundry carp close to thesurface, gliding in and out among the stems of the lilies and nestlingbeneath the leaves.
"It's of no use, Fred. I'm afraid we have made a mistake. That must bea kind of well made to supply the house with water, and it is all fancyabout the passage coming down here."
At that moment there was a loud burst of barking, and the lads startedup to run towards the house, for two mounted men were on their way alongthe winding road which crossed the park, evidently making for the greatentrance-door of the Hall.
"They've come back together," cried Fred as he ran; but before theycould reach the door, one of the horsemen had swung himself down, thrownthe reins to Nat, who was waiting, and walked up to the top of thesteps. Here he turned, and stood frowning for a few moments, while hiscompanion sat beating his boot with his whip so vigorously that thehorse kept starting and fidgeting about, making a plunge sufficient tounseat a bad rider.
"Will you come in, Forrester?" said the dismounted man.
"What for?" was the stern reply. "To renew
the argument, and have harshwords said to me?"
"Nonsense, my dear Forrester," said the other. "I only spoke out as aloyal man should, and I am sorry you took it so ill."
"And I only spoke out as a loyal man should."
"Loyal?"
"Yes, to his country, sir."
"Why, my dear Forrester--" began the dismounted man, angrily. "There, Ibeg your pardon. I was a little heated. Come in, Forrester. Stay anddine with me, and we can chat matters over coolly."
"Better not," said the mounted man, coldly. "Fred!"
"Yes, father."
"You were coming home with me?"
"No, father; I was going to stop with Scar for a bit."
"Humph! Better come home now, my boy. I think Sir Godfrey wishes totalk to his son."
"I was not going to do anything of the kind, Forrester; but if you arebent upon a division between us, I am not the man to baulk you."
"Very good, sir, very good. Then be it so."
"But it seems to me a great pity that two old friends should be divided,and our boys, who have been like brothers, should be separated upon aquestion about which you must feel, upon calm consideration, that youare wrong."
"If I felt that I was wrong, Sir Godfrey Markham, I should at onceapologise; but I am not wrong."
"And our boys?"
"It is impossible for our boys to be friends, Sir Godfrey, until youhave apologised for what you have said."
"Apologised, Colonel Forrester! Why, sir, I commend myself for myrestraint. If it had been any other man than my oldest friend who haddared to utter such disloyal thoughts against the king, I should havestruck him from his horse. Good day, sir, and I pray Heaven to placebetter thoughts in your mind! Scarlett, my boy."
"Yes, father."
"Come here."
"Mayn't I shake hands with Fred Forrester first?"
"No. Yes. You boys have no quarrel. But it will be better that youshould keep at home for the present."
"Oh, Fred, what's the matter?" whispered Scarlett.
"Don't you know?"
"Ye-es, I'm afraid I do."
"That's it. I didn't know we were going to have trouble about it downhere in Coombeland. But, I say, Scar, we're good friends, aren't we?"
"Yes, of course."
"That's right. They're both cross to-day; they'll make it upto-morrow."
"Fred!" said Colonel Forrester over his shoulder as he rode off.
"Coming, father. Good-bye, Scar; and, I say, don't tell anybody aboutthe secret place just yet."
"Very well."
"It will be all right again directly. Father soon gets good-temperedagain after he has been cross; but it always makes him angry if anybodypraises up the king."
"Fred!"
"Coming, father."
The boy darted off after the departing horseman, and Scarlett satwatching them till they disappeared among the trees, when he went slowlyinto the house, catching sight of his father striding up and down in thedining-room, and with a more serious look in his face than he rememberedto have seen before.
"I hope there is not going to be trouble and fighting, the same as therehas been elsewhere," thought the boy; and he involuntarily glancedthrough the open hall-door at the beautiful landscape, across whichseemed to float visions of soldiers and burning homesteads, anddestruction such as had been brought to them in the shape of news fromfar distant parts.
The coming of his father roused him from his reverie.
"Why, Scar, lad, don't look so serious," cried Sir Godfrey, clapping theboy on the shoulder. "I spoke angrily, didn't I, my boy? Well, I wasobliged in these rebellious times. Remember this, Scar, no matter whatcomes, `God save the king!'"
"Yes, father," cried the boy, flushing as he took off his cap and tossedit in the air, "`God save the king!'"
CHAPTER FIVE.
ANOTHER DISCOVERY.
Fred was right; the two elders did soon make it up, and the politicalebullition seemed to be forgotten. The boys were soon together again,enjoying their simple country ways as of yore, while the cloudsgathering around only looked golden in their sunshiny life.
The search for the outlet to the secret passage was renewed withoutsuccess, and then given up for a time. There was so much to see and dothat glorious autumn time when the apples were ripening fast, andhanging in great ropes from the heavily laden trees, beneath whosetangled boughs all was grey and green leaves and gloom, every orchardbeing an improvised wilderness, which was allowed to bear or be barrenaccording to its will.
There was always so much to do. Trout to hunt up the little moorlandstreams; loaches to impale among the stones of the swift torrents; ridesover the long undulating stretches of the moor, from far inland to whereit ended abruptly in steep cliffs by the sea.
And so life glided on at Manor and Hall. The king and country were notmentioned; Colonel and Mistress Forrester supped at the Hall, and littleLil listened to the sweet old-fashioned ballads the visitor sang. Thenthe Scarletts spent pleasant evenings at the Manor, and the two fathersdiscussed the future of their sons, while Dame Markham and MistressForrester seemed to be like sisters.
But all the while the storm-clouds were gathering, and a distantmuttering of thunder told that the tempest threatened to break over thepleasant west-country land.
"There's going to be a big change o' some kind, Master Scarlett," saidNat, the gardener; "and if there is, it won't be any too soon, for itwill put my brother Samson in his proper place, and keep him there."
"Yes, Master Fred, I went and had a mug o' cider down in the villagelast night, poor winegar wee sort o' stuff--three apples to a bucket o'water--such as my brother Nat makes up at the Hall; and there they allwere talking about it. People all taking sides all over England.Some's Cavaliers and some's Roundheads, so they say, and one party's forthe king, and the other isn't. Precious awful, aren't it?"
"Perhaps it's only talk, Samson?"
"No, Master Fred, sir, I don't think it's all talk; but there is a dealo' talk."
"Ah, well, it's nothing to do with us, Samson. Let them quarrel. We'retoo busy out here to bother about their quarrels."
"Well, I dunno, sir. I'm not a quarrelsome chap, but I heard things asmy brother Nat has said quite bad enough to make me want to go againhim, for we two never did agree; and when it comes to your own brothertelling downright out-and-out lies about the Manor vegetables and fruit,I think it's time to speak, don't you?"
"Oh, I wish you and Nat would meet some day, and shake hands, or elsefight it out and have done with it; brothers oughtn't to quarrel."
"I dunno, Master Fred, I dunno."
"Ah, well, I think all quarrels are a bother, whether they're big onesor whether they're little ones. They say the king and Parliament havefallen out; well, if I had my way, I'd make the king and Parliamentshake hands, just as Scar Markham and I will make you and Nat shakeyours."
"Nay, Master Fred, never!"
"I'm going to meet him this afternoon, and we'll talk it over."
Samson shook his head.
Home studies were over for the day, and by a natural attraction, Fredstarted by a short cut to the high point of the moor, just at the sametime as Scar Markham left the Hall for the same spot.
"He'll be in some mischief or another before he gets back," said SamsonDee, as he ceased digging, and rested one foot upon the top of hisspade, watching his young master contemplatively as he went along theroad for a short distance before leaping up the bank, and beginning totramp among heath, brake, and furze, over the springy turf.
Samson shook his head sadly, and sighed as he watched Fred's progress,the figure growing smaller and smaller, sometimes disappearingaltogether in a hollow, and then bounding into sight again like one ofthe moorland sheep.
"Yes; some mischief!" sighed Samson again, and he watched the lad withthe sorrowful expression on the increase, till the object of hisconsideration was out of sight, when he once more sighed, andrecommenced digging. "You don't catch
me, though, making it up."
Oddly enough--perhaps it would be more correct to say naturally enough--Nat Dee ceased digging up in the Hall garden to watch Scarlett Markham,who, after sending his sister Lil back into the house in tears, becausehe refused to take her with him, started off at a rapid pace.
"Wonder what mischief he's going to be at," said Nat, half aloud; andhe, too, rested a foot on the top of his spade, and contemplated theretiring form.
Perhaps, after all, digging is exceedingly hard work, and a break isvery welcome; but whether it be so or no, the fact is always evidentthat a gardener is ready to cease lifting the fat mellow earth of agarden, and stand and think upon the slightest excuse.
Nat Dee waited till Scar had disappeared, and then he slowly andsorrowfully resumed his task, and sighed with a feeling of regret forthe time when he too was a boy, and indulged in unlimited idleness andendless quarrels with his brother Samson.
Fred Forrester whistled as he slowly climbed the hill, which was shapedlike a level surfaced mound, and stood right up above the ordinaryundulations of the moor, and Scarlett Markham whistled as he slowlyclimbed the other side, while high overhead, to turn the