pboards, all covered with thin
sheets of mother-of-pearl, glowing with soft and delicate tints of pink
and blue; but the other half was quite unoccupied, and so highly
polished was the ebony, that the open space looked to Grace like a
square-cut cave of shiny black marble.

For some moments the little girl sat quite still, gazing into the depths
of the cabinet; but as nothing happened she got upon her feet, and,
drawing a step nearer, put her head and half her body inside the open
space. Everything looked very dark in there, and she felt more
disappointed than ever; but, just as she was about to draw out her head
again, she noticed a shining speck in one of the top corners at the
back of the cabinet. This was not the first time she had seen it, and
she had always determined to look at it closer; but the cabinet stood on
carved feet, like the claws of an alligator, and Grace's outstretched
hand could not quite reach the back. But now the cabinet might be going
away she felt that she must delay no longer, so she quickly crossed the
floor and fetched the highest hassock from under the table, and planted
it in front of the dark opening. Getting upon this, she climbed right
into the open space, and a moment later she was sitting on the ebony
floor of the Magic Cabinet.

It was rather a tight squeeze; but Grace did not mind that in the least:
she drew her feet close in under her, and laughed with glee. Now she
could see the shining speck plainly. It was only a tiny bright spot in
the centre of a tarnished metal knob. The knob was an ugly,
uninteresting-looking thing, and it was fixed so high up in the dark
corner that she would never have noticed it if it had not been for the
bright speck in the centre.

Wondering what the knob could be for, Grace gave it a sharp pull; but
she could not move it. Next she pushed it; and then----

Bang!

The folding doors fell to with a slam, everything became suddenly dark,
and Grace found herself shut inside the Magic Cabinet. Just for an
instant she felt too startled to move; but when she recovered from her
surprise, instead of trying to open the doors of the cabinet, she felt
for the little metal knob again, and then pushed at it with all her
might.

First there was a sharp snap, like the turning of a lock; and then she
heard a harsh, grating sound, as the back of the cabinet slid slowly
aside and revealed--what do you think?

The wall of the room behind? A secret cupboard?

No,