y go to the fag of burying the swag?" said Tommy once they were safe
within the shelter of The Cedars gates. "Let's take it to one of your
bedrooms. Besides," he added; as if this were quite an afterthought, as
indeed it was, "I don't want to spoil the things, and burying them might
damage the miniatures. Let's shove them into a drawer in your room.
Better go on first, Jack, and see if the coast is clear."

It was then about a quarter past ten, and most of the Danvers family were
still in the billiard-room. Mrs. Danvers and Margaret, however, were in
the drawing-room, and Edward had just gone up to bed.

When Jack came back with his report another short consultation was held.
Edward's having gone up to bed made it impossible to hide their booty in
any of the boys' bedrooms.

"What about your spare bedroom?" said Tommy; "you've got a biggish one,
I know."

"Miss Carson is sleeping there," said Jack. "But I tell you what, she's
not using the dressing-room. I know, because the girls keep some of their
swaggerest dresses and things there. And there are heaps of empty
drawers. So let's shove this thing into one of them."

Having reached the dressing-room unobserved, and closed the door and
turned on the light, they looked round for a safe hiding-place. And that
was not easily found. The drawers, far from being empty, were full either
of blouses laid away in tissue paper, or of furs smothered in camphor.

The hanging wardrobe, too, was full of dresses, and the drawer beneath of
hats.

"Oh, bother!" said Tommy crossly, "what an endless amount of room girls
seem to want for their things!" Then suddenly his expression changed and
he dived under the bed and dragged out a small trunk.

"The very thing. What luck! It's quite empty, and evidently hasn't been
used for ages, the lid is all covered with dust. Probably no one even
knows it is here. Shove in the bundle. Shall I lock it? Yes, I think
I will. Then if any prying housemaid comes along and wants to look inside
she won't be able to."

He slipped the key into his pocket, and the three boys left the room.

But mad as this practical joke was, the idea to which it had given rise
in Hilary's mind was even more outrageous. For she had taken it into her
head that Margaret was connected with the burglaries; and that when she
was still far from guessing that the proceeds of one of them were
actually locked up in her trunk. Hilary's suspicions were founded upon
nothing more t