er hand towards the little slit.
There was an instant rush for the ruin. Alan, taking the lead, made the
first attempt to push the door open a little wider, and catch a glimpse
of what lay behind it, but he failed. The interior was too dark, and the
door too heavy to move without help. Determined not to give in, however,
he called the others to his assistance, but to their astonishment, it
took the combined strength of the party to push it wide enough to gain
even a glimpse of what was inside. It was amazingly weighty; but when at
last it did move, it swung back quickly and unexpectedly, nearly
knocking the children over. Struggling to their feet again, they gazed
at each other in awe, delight, and wonder, till Alan, overcoming his
amazement, went forward to inspect their discovery, the others following
close at his heels.

Thomas had been left behind with the boat, and would not be up till they
had had time to examine the inside to their hearts' content. That is
what Alan counted upon, at all events. But he had reckoned without his
host.

'I don't think there is much to see,' said Marjorie scornfully. 'It is
very dark and dirty, and oh, do look at the snails!'

'And the mice!' cried Georgie, pointing to one scurrying off under their
very noses.

'And the bats!' exclaimed Estelle, with a shudder 'do you see them up
there? I wonder if they will come down and fasten in our hair if we go
inside and look about?'

'Why should they?' asked Alan, lighting a match he had found in his
pocket. 'They are asleep now, and won't wake at anything we do. Now come
in, and I will have the lantern lighted in a jiffy. I saw one just close
by.'

'I wonder what Aunt Betty or Father would say----,' began Marjorie, but
Alan cut her short.

'You are not going to stop outside, surely!' he exclaimed, with
surprised indignation. 'We shall never get such a chance again, and
there can be no possible harm in it while I am here to take care of
you.'

'Auntie would not like it,' said Estelle. 'She particularly told me I
wasn't to go in at any time, and I don't think I ought.'

'Aunt Betty trusted us,' added Marjorie, decidedly. 'We can look, but
not go in.'

'What rot!' returned Alan, wilfully, not in the best of humours. He had
succeeded in lighting the lantern, and now began to insist on Estelle
coming with him. 'There is no trust in a locked door,' he said. 'At
least the trust is in the door keeping us out; not in us who can't get
in.