74 7777 STRAND N AGAZINI.

versation carried on by me and his father and presently, having finished his cigar, he rose, stretched his long, flexible body, and without a word left the room.

“You mustn't take any notice of my son,” said the Colonel, apologetically. * He 1s very queer in his manners, for he s con- stitutionally weak, and has peculiar ideas about things in general. He dislikes clergv- men, tor onc thing, and that s the reason, no doubt, why he has been =0 boorish towards you. [for, of course, he 1s decerved by vour garb, as all in the house are, ox- cepting myself and wife. T felt it advisable to tell her who you are, n order to pre- vent her asking you any awkward questions that you might not be prepared to answer.”

[ smuled as told him [ had made a study of the various char- acters ITwas called upon to assume i pursuit of my calling, and that I was generally able to talk the character as well as dressat.

A litdle later he conducted mvo downstairs, 1n order that T might see the rest of the

servants, consist- ing of a most amiable cook,

whose duties ap- peared to agrec with her remark- ably well, and three other women, including a scullery - maid while in connee- tion with the stables were a coachman, u eroom, and a boy.

Havimg thus passed the houschold in review, as it were, I next requested that 1 might be allowed to spend a quarter of an hour or so alone in the room from whence the skull and other things had been stolen. Whilst 1 the room with the Colonel T had formed an opinion which I felt it desivable to keep to myself; and my object in asking to visit the room alone was to put this opinion to the test.

CrocAaME To A papt TIHAT GAVE BACK A HOLLOW SouNp,”

The floor was of dark old oak, polished andwaxed; and there was not a single board that was movable. Having satishied myself of that fact, I next proceeded to cexamine the wainscoting with the greatest care, and alter going over every inch of it, I came to a part that gave buck a hollow sound to my raps. I experienced a strange sense ot dehight as 1 discovered this, for it, so far, confirmed me inomy opinion that the room had been entered by a sceret door, and here was evidence of a door. The antiquity of the house and the ouk panel- lmg had had somcthing to do with this opinton, for I kncew that in old houses of the kind sceret doors were by no means Uncommon.

Although T was convinced that the pancl which gave back a hollow sound whenrapped wias a4 door, I could detect no means of

opening it. Save that it sounded

= hollow, it was ex- —.actly hike the other pancld, and there wWas no appear- ance of any lock or spring, and as the time I had stipulated for had expired, T rejoined the Colonel, and remarked to him mcidentally— “I supposc there 15 no way of entering that room except by the doorway from the landing 27 “Oh no, cer- tainly not. The window is too small, and the chimney is barred, as vou know, for I saw you examining it,"

My object in asking the question was to sce b he suspected in any way the existence of a sceret door ; but it was now very obvious that he did nothing of the kind, and I did not deem it advisable to tell him of 1y own suspicions,

“You say you are obliged to depart for [Lovpt to-morrow, Colonel 2" 1 asked.

“Yeso D start to-morrow night.”