Scar Markham
suffered from a fit of excitement which they could not allay. For, as
is usually the case, the person they wanted to go seemed determined to
stay. That person was the maid, who appeared to have found something
very important to do in the room at the end of the corridor; and it was
impossible to continue the examination till she had returned to the
servants' quarters.

Scar fetched a candlestick with a short piece of candle burning therein,
and shut it up in one of the great cupboards in the hall, so as to lose
no time.

Then they fidgeted up and down, listening intently the while; examined
some of the well-oiled, warlike weapons on the walls; crept upstairs and
along the corridor to listen at the bedroom door; ran down again, and
waited until the suspense seemed unbearable.

"I believe she has gone to bed and fallen asleep," whispered Fred.

"Nonsense! She dare not in that best room."

"Let's go out in the garden, then, and leave it till another day."

"And when will that be? Why, everybody will be about then. No; we must
examine the place to-day."

"What's that?" cried Fred, suddenly. "What's what?"

"I can smell fire."

"Well, they're cooking in the kitchen, I suppose."

"No, no; it's wood burning. Oh, Scar, look there!"

As Fred pointed toward the great closet in one corner of the hall, the
lads could see a thin blue film of vapour stealing out through the crack
at the top; and their first inclination was to run away and shout
"Fire!" But second thoughts are best.

"Come on," cried Scar; and he ran to the closet door, swung it open, and
the reason for the smoke was plain enough to see. The candle which they
had hidden there till the maid came down had been badly fastened in the
socket; had fallen over sidewise, probably when the door was closed, and
was now leaning up against the oak wainscot, guttering down rapidly, and
burning a long, channel-like hole in the woodwork, which was pouring
forth smoke, and would in a few minutes have become serious.

As it was, a little presence of mind was sufficient to avert the danger.
The candle was removed, and a handkerchief pressed against the
smouldering wainscot stifled the tiny fire, while the windows being
open, the pale blue smoke soon evaporated, and the candle was left
securely now as the lads re-entered the hall and carefully closed the
door once more.

"We should have looked nice if the old hall had been burned down," said
Fred.