you. He came out with empty hands. Maybe, though, now you've got
the inspiration you'll be more lucky, you and your father. I agree with
Caspian on this subject: you'd better not invite too many people to your
treasure-hunting bee. In fact, I think it had better confine itself to
members of the family."

"No use," sighed Pat. "There's not a hole nor a corner of that cave I
didn't search like a needle for a haystack--I mean the othaire way
round--when I was petite."

"Do you give me leave to explore?" asked Jack.

"Yes, indeed," said Pat. Yet I thought she hesitated before she spoke.
"When will you like to go?"

"I must dress for the job, I suppose," said Jack. "Shall we say
to-morrow at ten o'clock in the morning, with you and Molly and nobody
else in a stage box to watch the performance?"

Pat agreed, laughing, yet there was something peculiar--an _arriere
pensee_--in her laugh. She had suddenly become absent-minded--or else
she was sleepy; and I reminded Jack that it was growing late. We took
the girl back to the house, into which she disappeared with a dreamy,
"la Somnambula" air; and for once I was glad to see the last of the dear
child. I was _dying_ to talk to Jack. But I'm not going to inflict our
discussion upon you. Instead, I'll tell you what happened in the morning
(that's to-day!). We got up early and Jack sported a shocking old suit
of knickerbockers, just right for an up-to-date cave man. You see, he
really meant to keep his engagement. If he found anything, as he thought
quite probable, it would bear out his theory and save unsuspecting Peter
the trouble of working the Moore family up to an interest in the cave.
We were just attacking our coffee and rolls, however, at eight-thirty,
when Pat appeared, hovering at the end of the vine covered pergola which
we use for a breakfast-room.

"Come to remind me of my promise?" laughed Jack, jumping up. But as she
drifted slowly in, we saw that, whatever her errand might be, for her it
was no laughing matter.

"I have to confess a thing to you both," she said. "I have been in the
cave. Even before you went away, I made up my mind I would go in. I did
not sleep too much. I got up when it was light. I put on a bad dress. I
slid down the bank like when I was a little one. I creeped into the
cave, with a candle, the way I used to do. It is not distant to the end,
where one can squeeze. I looked all over, everywhere, as always when I
was small. I remembered a ho