rches, to throw
the two small rooms on the other side as recesses into the larger. But
if that had been the intent, what could the building of a wall, vaguely
recollected by mistress Brookes, have been for? That a wall had been
built he did not doubt, for he believed he knew the wall, but why?

"What's that?" said Donal.

"What?" returned Mrs. Brookes.

"Those two arches."

The housekeeper looked at them thoughtfully for a few moments.

"I canna help fancyin'," she said slowly, "--yes, I'm sure that's the
varra thing my aunt told me aboot! That's the twa places whaur he was
goin' to tak the wall doon, to mak the room lairger. But I'm sure she
said something aboot buildin' a wall as weel!"

"Look here," said Donal; "I will measure the distance from the door to
the other side of this first arch.--Now come into the closet behind.
Look here! This same measurement takes us right up to the end of the
place! So you see if we were to open the other arch, it would be into
something behind this wall."

"Then this may be the varra wa' he biggit?"

"I don't doubt it; but what could he have had it built for, if he was
going to open the other wall? I must think it all over!--It was after
his wife's death, you say?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"One might have thought he would not care about enlarging the room
after she was gone!"

"But, sir, he wasna jist sic a pattren o' a guidman;" said the
housekeeper. "An' what for mak this room less?"

"May it not have been for the sake of shutting out, or hiding
something?" suggested Donal.

"I do remember a certain thing!--Curious!--But what then as to the
openin' o' 't efter?"

"He has never done it!" said Donal significantly. "The thing takes
shape to me in this way:--that he wanted to build something out of
sight--to annihilate it; but in order to prevent speculation, he
professed the intention of casting the one room into the other; then
built the wall across, on the pretence that it was necessary for
support when the other was broken through--or perhaps that two recesses
with arches would look better; but when he had got the wall built, he
put off opening the arches on one pretext or another, till the thing
should be forgotten altogether--as you see it is already, almost
entirely!--I have been at the back of that wall, and heard the earl
moaning and crying on this side of it!"

"God bless me!" cried the good woman. "I'm no easy scaret, but that's
fearfu' to think o'!"

"Y