"
"Naturally," said Cheiron.
"Do you know, since last winter I have had a great pleasure," and
Halcyone's grave, intent eyes looked up into the old gentleman's face.
"There was a terrible storm in February--but can you really keep a
secret?"--and then, as he nodded his head seriously, she went on. "It
blew down a narrow piece of the paneling in the long gallery--it is next
to my room, you know--and I heard the noise in the night and lit a
candle and went to see. Some of the window panes are broken, so it is
very blustery there in storms. Well, there was a door behind it--a
secret door! I was so excited, but I could not keep the candle alight
and it was very cold. I saw nothing was broken--only the wind had
dislodged the spring. I was able to push it back and pull a little chest
against it, and wait till morning. And then what do you think I
found?--it led to a staircase in the thickness of the wall, which went
down and down until it came to a door right below the cellar--it took me
days of dodging Mademoiselle and Priscilla to carry down oil and things
to help me to open it--and then it came out in a hollow archway on the
second terrace, which has a stone bench in it, and is where old William
keeps his tools.
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