and at the other end--till the stone moved
forward a little at a time, and they were able to get hold of it, and
drag it out. Behind was darkness, a hollow--Dickie plunged his arm in.

"I can feel the door," he said; "it's all right."

"Let's fetch father," suggested Elfrida; "he _will_ enjoy it so."

So he was fetched. Elfrida burst into the library where her father was
busy with many lawyers' letters and papers, and also with the lawyer
himself, a stout, jolly-looking gentleman in a tweed suit, not a bit
like the long, lean, disagreeable, black-coated lawyers you read about
in books.

"Please, daddy," she cried, "we've found the treasure. Come and look."

"What treasure? and how often have I told you not to interrupt me when I
am busy?"

"Oh, well," said Elfrida, "I only thought it would amuse you, daddy.
We've found a bricked-up place, and there's a door behind, and I'm
almost sure it's where they hid the treasure when Cromwell's wicked men
took the Castle."

"There is a legend to that effect," said Elfrida's father to the lawyer,
who was looking interested. "You must forgive us if our family
enthusiasms obliterate our manners. You have not said good-morning to
Mr. Roscoe, Elfrida."

"Good-morning, Mr. Roscoe," said Elfrida cheerfully. "I thought it was
the engineer's day and not the lawyer's. I beg your pardon, you wouldn't
mind me bursting in if you knew how very important the treasure is to
the fortunes of our house."

The lawyer laughed. "I am deeply interested in buried treasure. It would
be a great treat to me if Lord Arden would allow me to assist in the
search for it."

"There's no search _now_," said Elfrida, "because it's found. We've been
searching for ages. Oh, daddy, do come--you'll be sorry afterwards if
you don't."

"If Mr. Roscoe doesn't mind, then," said her father indulgently. And the
two followed Elfrida, believing that they were just going to be kind and
to take part in some childish game of make-believe. Their feelings were
very different when they peeped through the hole, where Dickie and
Edred had removed two more stones, and saw the dusty gray of the wooden
door beyond. Very soon all the stones were out, and the door was
disclosed.

The lock plate bore the arms of Arden, and the door was not to be
shaken.

"We must get a locksmith," said Lord Arden.

"The big key with the arms on it!" cried Elfrida; "one of those in the
iron box. Mightn't that----?" One flew to fetch it.