welcomed the element of possible danger, and the imminence of
discovery added an extra spice. For days she haunted the vicinity of
the winding staircase, hiding in bedrooms and watching, in case Miss
Gibbs went to her laboratory. Twice she watched the mistress pass
through the wire door and lock it safely behind her, quite unaware of
the outraged pupil fuming in No. 3 Dormitory opposite. Raymonde
reiterated her old opinion that Miss Gibbs was far too exact and
conscientious.

On one eventful afternoon, however, fortune favoured her. No less a
person than Miss Beasley ascended the interesting staircase, actually
leaving the defences unsecured. Raymonde seized the opportunity, and
like a little ghost or shadow stole softly after her. The head
mistress had entered the laboratory, and had closed that door after
her. Raymonde tiptoed up to it, and could hear voices inside, the
whirling of a wheel, and a kind of bubbling sound. Was Miss Beasley
assisting Miss Gibbs with the alchemy? She did not wait even to take a
survey through the keyhole, but, hurrying on, turned the corner of the
passage.

She found herself in another long, narrow landing, with rooms on both
sides. She peeped into most of these. They were empty, and in a
deplorable state of disrepair. Plaster had fallen from the ceilings,
showing the rafters; in some places, even streaks of daylight shone
through chinks in the tiled roof. The worm-eaten old floors had rotted
into holes, and Raymonde had to walk warily to avoid putting her foot
through in tender places. Many of the rooms had cupboards--dark,
mysterious, cobwebby recesses--into which she peered with a rather
jumpy sensation that a bogy might suddenly pop out. The whole
atmosphere of the place was ghostly, even in the daytime.

"I shouldn't like to come up here at night!" shivered Raymonde.

As far as she could tell, the passage seemed to be leading her round
the house. It turned several corners, and ended in a long gallery.
This looked more cheerful, for the sun shone in through the large end
window and brightened the cracked old walls. She danced along the
floor with quite a return of high spirits.

"I wish the Bumble would let us come up here on wet days. It would be
a glorious place for games, nicer by far than the barn. I call it mean
of her to lock up all this part of the house. We'd have absolutely
topping fun! I say! what's that little door over there?"

The door in question was very small, an