r together.

"It must be dreadful to be so poor when you know you ought to be so
rich!" said Lindsay.

"And so tantalizing, when perhaps the fortune is actually in the house,"
said Cicely.

"I could never be happy for thinking about it."

"No more could I."

"Look here! Why shouldn't you and I set to work? So long as this
treasure is hidden away somewhere, I suppose it's possible to find it."

"Oh, don't I wish we could!" cried Cicely, her eyes round at the idea.

"Well, I can't see why we shouldn't have as good a chance as anybody
else. I expect it's chiefly a matter of careful hunting."

"How splendid it would be if Monica really turned out an heiress after
all!"

"Glorious! It's worth trying for. Those panelled walls might be full of
hiding-places. We don't know what we may discover when once we begin."

"We shan't have to let Miss Frazer catch us looking about."

"Rather not! Nobody must know what we intend to do."

"Not even Marjorie Butler?" pleaded Cicely.

"No," said Lindsay firmly. "Marjorie couldn't help whispering it to
Nora, and then it would be all over the school. The big girls would make
dreadful fun of us, I'm sure. They'd call us 'The Gold Seekers', or some
other stupid name, simply for the sake of teasing. Besides, if it were
talked about among the rest, it would be sure to get to Monica's ears,
and we particularly don't want that."

"No, she mustn't hear a word of it."

"Very well, then, we had better keep it to ourselves. Will you promise
faithfully that it shall be a dead secret just between you and me?"

"Absolutely dead!" agreed Cicely.

The two girls were determined to institute a thorough search for the
lost legacy, but they foresaw many difficulties in the way. In the first
place, it was hard even to make a start without letting anybody suspect
what they were doing. Although the term at the Manor seemed like a
holiday, it was nevertheless school: there was a certain amount of
supervision by the mistresses, and there were rules and regulations to
be obeyed, the same as at Winterburn Lodge. The girls were not allowed
to wander about alone exactly when and where they wished, and even
during recreation time they were expected to play games in the garden.

One of the greatest hindrances to their plan was Mrs. Wilson, an elderly
servant who had been left in charge by Mrs. Courtenay, and who seemed to
consider herself responsible for her mistress's property. She evidently
much re