down and tell all about it
from first to last.'
"Well, so soon as I made an end, he thought a bit, and says he to my
aunt:
"'I mind the place well. In old Sir Olivur's time lame Wyndel told me
there was a door in that recess, to the left, where the lassie dreamed
she saw my grandmother open it. He was past eighty when he told me
that, and I but a boy. It's twenty year sen. The plate and jewels used
to be kept there, long ago, before the iron closet was made in the
arras chamber, and he told me the key had a brass handle, and this ye
say was found in the bottom o' the kist where she kept her old fans.
Now, would not it be a queer thing if we found some spoons or diamonds
forgot there? Ye mun come up wi' us, lassie, and point to the very
spot.'
"Loth was I, and my heart in my mouth, and fast I held by my aunt's
hand as I stept into that awsome room, and showed them both how she
came and passed me by, and the spot where she stood, and where the
door seemed to open.
"There was an ald empty press against the wall then, and shoving it
aside, sure enough there was the tracing of a door in the wainscot,
and a keyhole stopped with wood, and planed across as smooth as the
rest, and the joining of the door all stopped wi' putty the colour o'
yak, and, but for the hinges that showed a bit when the press was
shoved aside, ye would not consayt there was a door there at all.
"'Ha!' says he, wi' a queer smile, 'this looks like it.'
"It took some minutes wi' a small chisel and hammer to pick the bit o'
wood out o' the keyhole. The key fitted, sure enough, and, wi' a
strang twist and a lang skreak, the boult went back and he pulled the
door open.
"There was another door inside, stranger than the first, but the lacks
was gone, and it opened easy. Inside was a narrow floor and walls and
vault o' brick; we could not see what was in it, for 'twas dark as
pick.
"When my aunt had lighted the candle, the squire held it up and stept
in.
"My aunt stood on tiptoe tryin' to look over his shouther, and I did
na see nout.
"'Ha! ha!' says the squire, steppin' backward. 'What's that? Gi' ma
the poker--quick!' says he to my aunt. And as she went to the hearth I
peeps beside his arm, and I sid squat down in the far corner a monkey
or a flayin' on the chest, or else the maist shrivelled up, wizzened
ald wife that ever was sen on yearth.
"'By Jen!' says my aunt, as puttin' the poker in his hand, she keeked
by his shouther, and s
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