XXIX
IN THE CELLAR
I had meanwhile stood silent. There was no reason for me to obtrudemyself, and I was happy not to do so. This does not mean, however, thatmy presence was not noticed. Mr. Trohm honored me with more than oneglance during these trying moments, in which I read the anxiety he feltlest my peace of mind should be too much disturbed, and when, inresponse to the undoubted dismissal he had received from Lucetta, heprepared to take his leave, it was upon me he bestowed his final lookand most deferential bow. It was a tribute to my position and characterwhich all seemed to feel, and I was not at all surprised when Lucetta,after carefully watching his departure, turned to me with childlikeimpetuosity, saying:
"This must be very unpleasant for you, Miss Butterworth, yet must we askyou to stand our friend. God knows we need one."
"I shall never forget I occupied that position toward your mother," wasmy straightforward reply, and I did not forget it, not for a moment.
"I shall begin with the cellar," Mr. Gryce announced.
Both girls quivered. Then Loreen lifted her proud head and said quietly:
"The whole house is at your disposal. Only I pray you to be asexpeditious as possible. My sister is not well, and the sooner ourhumiliation is over, the better it will be for her."
And, indeed, Lucetta was in a state that aroused even Mr. Gryce'sanxiety. But when she saw us all hovering over her she roused herselfwith an extraordinary effort, and, waving us aside, led the way to thekitchen, from which, as I gathered, the only direct access could be hadto the cellar. Mr. Gryce immediately followed, and behind him cameLoreen and myself, both too much agitated to speak. At the Flower ParlorMr. Gryce paused as if he had forgotten something, but Lucetta urged himfeverishly on, and before long we were all standing in the kitchen. Herea surprise awaited us. Two men were sitting there who appeared to bestrangers to Hannah, from the lowering looks she cast them as shepretended to be busy over her stove. This was so out of keeping with herusual good humor as to attract the attention even of her young mistress.
"What is the matter, Hannah?" asked Lucetta. "And who are these men?"
"They are my men," said Mr. Gryce. "The job I have undertaken cannot becarried on alone."
The quick look the two sisters interchanged did not escape me, or thequiet air of resignation which was settling slowly over Loreen.
"Must they go into the cellar too?" she asked.
Mr. Gryce smiled his most fatherly smile as he said:
"My dear young ladies, these men are interested in but one thing; theyare searching for a clue to the disappearances that have occurred inthis lane. As they will not find this in your cellar, nothing else thatthey may see there will remain in their minds for a moment."
Lucetta said no more. Even her indomitable spirit was giving way beforethe inevitable discovery that threatened them.
"Do not let William know," were the low words with which she passedHannah; but from the short glimpse I caught of William's burly figurestanding in the stable door, under the guardianship of two detectives, Ifelt this injunction to be quite superfluous. William evidently didknow.
I was not going to descend the cellar stairs, but the girls made me.
"We want you with us," Loreen declared in no ordinary tones, whileLucetta paused and would not go on till I followed. This surprised me. Ino longer seemed to have any clue to their motives; but I was glad to beone of the party.
Hannah, under Loreen's orders, had furnished one of the men with alighted lantern, and upon our descent into the dark labyrinth below, itbecame his duty to lead the way, which he did with due circumspection.What all this underground space into which we were thus introduced hadever been used for, it would be difficult to tell. At present it wasmostly empty. After passing a small collection of stores, a wine-cellar,the very door of which was unhinged and lay across the cellar bottom, westruck into a hollow void, in which there was nothing worth an instant'sinvestigation save the earth under our feet.
This the two foremost detectives examined very carefully, detaining usoften longer, I thought, than Mr. Gryce desired or Lucetta had patiencefor. But nothing was said in protest nor did the older detective give anorder or manifest any special interest in the investigation till he sawthe men in front stoop and throw out of the way a coil of rope, when heimmediately hurried forward and called upon the party to stop.
The girls, who were on either side of me, crossed glances at thiscommand, 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 thempresented the most striking picture of despair, the shrinking Lucetta orLoreen with her quivering form uplifted to meet the shafts of fatewithout a droop of her eyelids or a murmur from her lips. The light ofthe one lantern which, intentionally or unintentionally, wasconcentrated on this pathetic group, made it stand out from the midst ofthe surrounding darkness in a way to draw the gaze of Mr. Gryce uponthem. He looked, and his own brow became overcast. Evidently we were notfar from the cause of their fears.
Ordering the candle lifted, he surveyed the ceiling above, at whichLoreen's lips opened slightly in secret dread and amazement. Then hecommanded the men to move on slowly, while he himself looked overheadrather than underneath, which seemed to astonish his associates, whoevidently had heard nothing of the hole which had been cut in the floorof the Flower Parlor.
Suddenly I heard a slight gasp from Lucetta, who had not moved forwardwith the rest of us. Then her rushing figure flew by us and took up itsstand by Mr. Gryce, who had himself paused and was pointing with animperious forefinger to the ground under his feet.
"You will dig here," said he, not heeding her, though I am sure he wasas well acquainted with her proximity as we.
"Dig?" repeated Loreen, in what we all saw was a final effort to staveoff disgrace and misery.
"My duty demands it," said he. "Some one else has been digging herewithin a very few days, Miss Knollys. That is as evident as is the factthat a communication has been made with this place through an openinginto the room above. See!" And taking the lantern from the man at hisside, he held it up toward the ceiling.
There was no hole there now, but there were ample evidences of therehaving been one, and that within a very short time. Loreen made nofurther attempt to stay him.
"The house is at your disposal," she reiterated, but I do not think sheknew what she said. The man with the bundle in his arms was alreadyunrolling it on the cellar bottom. A spade came to light, together withsome other tools. Lifting the spade, he thrust it smartly into theground toward which Mr. Gryce's inexorable finger still pointed. At thesight and the sound it made, a thrill passed through Lucetta which madeher another creature. Dashing forward, she flung herself down upon thespot with lifted head and outstretched arms.
"Stop your desecrating hand!" she cried. "This is a grave--the grave,sirs, of our mother!"