cabinet. I've a
great many old coins and a few daggers that were dug up when the moat
was drained."

Looking rather shamefaced, the pair went with Monica to the library,
where she unlocked an oak cupboard, and spent quite twenty minutes in
explaining her various treasures. She was most kind, and spared no
trouble, but the others could not get over their confusion. They had the
guilty sensation that they had been caught like naughty children, and
were being amused to keep them out of the way.

"Why was Monica going into the lantern room?" demanded Lindsay, the
moment they were alone.

"Does she know the secret?" ventured Cicely.

"Either she knows, or she's trying to find out. Perhaps she's stalking
Mrs. Wilson too!"

This was a new idea, and required consideration.

"Then that would perhaps be what 'The Griffin' was warning Scott about,"
said Cicely reflectively. "Ought we to tell Monica?"

"Not yet--not till we've something more definite to go upon. We've only
suspicions at present, and one can hardly speak about those. She might
be offended, and think us meddlesome, especially as she doesn't like to
talk of her affairs."

"I'm afraid she'll think us sneaky and underhand, in any case. I'm so
sorry she saw us spying like that."

"Well, we couldn't help it, and we can't explain."

"Mightn't we just say why----?"

"It's no use," interrupted Lindsay decidedly. "We'd better not breathe a
word."

And Cicely, as usual, gave way.

It was gratifying to feel that they were Monica's champions, though she
might not yet be aware of what she owed them. They must be content to be
misunderstood for a little while; afterwards she would appreciate what
they had been doing for her, and would thank them accordingly. They
often looked at her in school with the satisfactory sensation that they
knew something of which everyone else, even Miss Russell, was ignorant.

I fear the lessons suffered sometimes while they indulged in day-dreams,
for it was hard to recall such mundane matters as the capital of Mexico,
or the date of Magna Charta, when their thoughts were far away in the
lantern room, busy with concealed prisoners or supposed plots.

"You're the two most inattentive girls in the class!" cried Miss Frazer
indignantly one day, after a specially bad lapse of memory. "You both
did far better at Winterburn Lodge. I cannot understand why your work
should have fallen off so much lately. This is the third time this week
yo