--Ah, I
thought so!" he went on, looking over after the weight; "--only to
the first floor, or thereabouts!--No, I think it is lower!--But
anyhow, my lady, as you can see, the place with which the chimney,
if chimney it be, communicates, must be somewhere about the middle
of the house, and perhaps is on the first floor; we can't judge very
well looking down from here, and against a spot where are no
windows. Can you imagine what place it might be?"
"I cannot," answered Arctura; "but I could go into every room on
that floor without anyone seeing me."
"Then I will let the weight down the chimney again, and leave it for
you to see, if you can, below. If you find it, we must do something
else."
It was done, and they descended together. Donal went back to the
schoolroom, not expecting to see her again till the next day. But in
half an hour she came to him, saying she had been into every room on
that floor, both where she thought it might be, and where she knew
it could not be, and had not seen the weight.
"The probability then is," replied Donal, "that thereabout
somewhere--there, or farther down in that neighbourhood--lies the
secret; but we cannot be sure, for the weight may not have reached
the bottom of the shaft. Let us think what we shall do next.
He placed a chair for her by the fire. They had the room to
themselves.
CHAPTER LIII.
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