, and did not let them out of her sight until she
had watched them safely into the garden.

"How horrid she was!" exclaimed Cicely, when they were alone, and able
to talk things over. "Miss Russell never said we weren't to go on to
that top landing."

"What was Mrs. Wilson doing there herself--in an empty room, in such a
deserted part of the house?" asked Lindsay meditatively.

"I don't know. She looked quite aghast at seeing us."

"I believe there's something about it we don't understand. Perhaps she
has some reason beyond mere fussiness and nastiness for wanting to keep
us away from that particular room."

"What kind of a reason?"

"Well, suppose she had discovered the hiding-place?"

"Wouldn't she tell Monica?"

"She might intend to take some of the money."

"Oh, how dreadful! It's quite possible, though, that she knows where it
is. She was housekeeper to old Sir Giles for ever so many years."

"It seems to me most suspicious," said Lindsay. "We must watch her, and
find out everything we can, for Monica's sake."

The idea that Mrs. Wilson was concealing the treasure for her own ends
was a thrilling one. The more they thought about it, the more probable
it appeared. Who had a better opportunity than she of searching the old
house? She might even have been present when her eccentric master stowed
his fortune so carefully away. If this were really the case, the
greatest caution was necessary, for to allow "The Griffin" to see that
they had noticed anything might entirely spoil their plans.

"We must treat her just as usual," said Lindsay, "only we must keep our
eyes and ears open, in case something should turn up to give us a hint."

For the next few days they behaved with what they considered the
greatest diplomacy. They took care not to aggravate Mrs. Wilson, nor in
any way to attract her special attention; but they looked out for the
slightest chance of following her movements, dodging round corners, and
stalking her along passages with the zeal of detectives. Unfortunately
their efforts were not so unobserved as they supposed, and drew down a
reproof from headquarters.

"Lindsay and Cicely! how is it that you are continually loitering about
the landing when you ought to be in the garden?" said Miss Russell. "I
shall have to make a new rule, that nobody is to come upstairs until ten
minutes before meals. In this lovely weather I expect you to be
out-of-doors. It is a shame to waste a minute in the hou