valuable. Just fancy--it hasn't been
opened for twenty years! T-w-e-n-t-y years! That's twice as long as the
whole of my life!"

"Then," said Brian, who was good at mental arithmetic, "it's been shut
up for 7,300 days, all but two."

"And on Thursday morning it's to be opened!" cried Elsie, dancing round
the room. "I'm simply dying to know what's inside. I asked Sarah once
what she thought it would be, and she said she believed it must be
money. I dreamt once that I came down and saw it open, and that it was
full of the most lovely jewellery--chains, and rings, and bracelets,
with the most beautiful precious stones set in them, all colours of the
rainbow!"

"Good-night! Why didn't you collar a few? You might have grabbed a
handful, and given some to me."

"I was just going to, when I woke up," answered Elsie. "That's always
the way in dreams."

"I know," replied Brian, laughing. "I've dreamt I was turned loose in a
confectioner's shop, and I could have anything I liked; and just when I
was going to start on a plate of cheesecakes, Jane came hammering at the
door, saying it was time to get up. It's a queer old thing," he continued,
alluding to the box. "Let's have a look at the gentleman."

"It's pretty heavy," he continued, as he lifted the box out into the
light of the window; "but that may be the weight of the wood and iron.
I'm afraid it isn't full of gold, Elsie; if it were, I shouldn't be able
to move it at all."

"Look!" cried the little girl. "The locks can't be opened because they
are sealed. That thing like one of the chessmen with a leopard standing
on top putting his tongue out was Uncle Roger's crest. He did that
himself just before he died."

The front of each of the padlocks was ornamented with a big circular
lump of dark blue sealing-wax, on which the impression of the old
gentleman's seal was distinctly visible. While these remained unbroken
it was impossible to put a key into either of the locks.

"I suppose he did that to make sure that no one should open the box
before the proper time?"

"Yes," answered Elsie. "You see, even if a person had keys which would
fit the locks, he couldn't use them unless he first broke the seals;
and no one would do that, because it would show that the box had been
meddled with."

"But supposing you got some more blue wax of the same colour--" began
Brian. "But, no; of course you'd want the seal. What became of it, d'you
know?"

"Father's got it. He keeps