The Manor House School

resting

nd two stancher friends than Lindsay Hepburn and Cicely Chalm

energetic disposition; apt, according to Miss Frazer, to be inconveniently l

demurer manners, and proclaimed her ready for anything in the shape of fun. She admired Lindsay immensely, and copied

own, though she might choose to merge it in her friend's stronger personality. It is with these two, and their strange experiences at the Manor, that my ta

how it a

ered at last she brought with her a new pupil. The stranger was about sixteen, a pretty, graceful girl, with hazel eyes, long chestnut hair, and a rather distinguished air. She was given a seat i

y. The moment work was over, Lindsay and Cicely seized upon Kathlee

hey asked. "We hadn't h

nswered Kathleen. "Her name's Monica Courtena

mean?" enqu

sell has taken the Manor for t

t whom it belonged to

in rooms in the village while their house is let, and Mo

is really

t is all her own. She's an only

y for her to see a

shouldn't like it if

she

w no more of her than

eartily in her favour. Monica was rather dignified and reserved in her manners, and evidently not much accust

, although she's mistress o

ves herself airs in the

y have done. She doesn't go anywhere without leave, nor even stop to play tennis unless she's asked. I heard her apologizing to Miss Russell yesterday for giving a

ing. I call her one of the nicest girls I've ever met. And she's had su

ene know?" a

t parish, and her cousins are friends of Monica's. It's a

s!" said the o

t the time, so it will be better to set it down here as the girls learnt it more fully af

an ancestor who had fought bravely on the Yorkist side in the days of the Wars of the Ro

t lived in a miserly fashion, entertaining no visitors, and never spending a penny which it was possible for him to save. He never married, but passed his days as a recluse, shut up among the books in his library, seeing only a few old servants whose servi

t everything to his

er the volumes in my library, and advising her to pursue the study of botany, which has eve

d beyond the ordinary furniture in the house and a few pounds in the local bank. No one knew anything about his affairs, and neither pa

Courtenays were also missing, and there was no clue to their whereabouts. It was generally believed that Sir Giles must have concealed the whole of

ken up their residence there, but they possessed only a small income, quite insufficient to maintain the former traditions of the family. It wa

r the treasure?" asked Lindsay, when

tically through each room, but it's so well hi

must b

lace is pulled down. The whole thing is a complete m

Monica where s

ly it must have been a most terrible disappointment. I don't wonder she avoids the subject. Please be

ve too nice feeling to question Monica on

ing-we wouldn't for worlds," p

ting in the eyes of Lindsay and Cicely. They were much impressed by Kathleen's a

poor when you know you ought

rhaps the fortune is actuall

be happy for th

re cou

rk? So long as this treasure is hidden away s

uld!" cried Cicely, her

s good a chance as anybody else. I expect

if Monica really turned

d walls might be full of hiding-places. We don'

let Miss Frazer cat

dy must know what

orie Butler?"

ould make dreadful fun of us, I'm sure. They'd call us 'The Gold Seekers', or some other stupid name, simply for the sake of teasin

tn't hear a

selves. Will you promise faithfully that it sh

dead!" agr

pect what they were doing. Although the term at the Manor seemed like a holiday, it was nevertheless school: there was a certain amount of supervision by the mistresses, and there were rules and regulations to

stress's property. She evidently much resented the presence of thirty schoolgirls in the Manor, and kept a keen eye upon them to see that they did no damage. She was continually watchin

at was impossible, she did her best to frighten them away from the rest of the house by being as disagreeable as she could. As a natu

we only take a stroll along the portrait gallery, she thinks we're goi

at a thing without breaking it. It's perf

eft behind," said Nora Proctor; and that was the g

ing their treasure hunt, and they were reduced to very low spirits on the subject. One half-holiday afternoon, however, Lindsay reported

ss Frazer is playing tennis, and Mademoiselle is sitting reading in the arbour. Everyone else is in the gar

is confederates; and commenced immediately to make a careful tour of investigation. They stole round the hall, the dining-room, and the library, sc

I expect people made hiding-places where they wouldn't be so easy to ge

to find themselves quite alone in such an out-of-the-way part of the house. The Manor was very large, and nearly the whole of the left wing was unoccupie

rs looking round and examining it thoroughly. I don't wonder Monica lost heart. Th

better be t

rather tired of the

us go to the end

t terminated in a narrow, winding staircase. This looked tempting-just the sort of

r where Sir Walter was imprisoned, in T

en Sir Gilbert found she had overh

p was a small landing, and exactly facing them, up three steps more, stood

suddenly. "I thought I

led somebody groaning, or giving long-drawn, sighing breaths. It went on for a few momen

ispered Cicely,

but I'm going t

pe it's nothing tha

D THE DOOR

e! Why s

t. Do be

to discover things, and help Monica. If there's a noise in

tisfying her curiosity, she opened th