“Oh!” Alec observed blankly. “Yes, I didn’t seem to think of that.”
“It’s the only obvious way. And it’s not outside the possibilities by any means in an old house like this. Especially in the library, which hasn’t been pulled about so much as some of the other rooms.”
“That’s true enough,” said Alec, quite excitedly. “Roger, old sleuth, I really do believe you’re on the track of something at last.”
“Thanks,” Roger returned dryly. “I’ve been waiting for a remark like that for some hours.”
“Yes, but this really is interesting. Secret passages and—and hidden chambers and what-nots. Jolly romantic, and all that. I’m all in favour of unearthing it.”
“Well, here we are, and the scent ought to be strong. Let’s get down to it.”
“What shall we do?” asked Alec, staring curiously round the walls as if he expected the secret door to fly suddenly open if he looked hard enough.
“Well, first of all, I think we’d better examine this panelling. Now, let’s see; this wall where the fireplace is backs on to the drawing room, doesn’t it? And this one behind the safe on to the storeroom and a little bit of the hall. So that if there is a door or anything, the probability is that it will be in one of those two walls; it’s not likely to be in either of the outside ones. Well, I tell you what we’d better do. You examine the panelling in here, and I’ll scout round on the other side of the walls and see if I can spot anything there.”
“Right-ho,” said Alec, beginning to scrutinise the fireplace wall with great earnestness.
Roger made his way out into the hall and thence to the drawing room. The dividing wall between that room and the library was covered with paper, and one or two china cabinets stood against it. After a cursory peep or two behind these, Roger mentally wrote that wall off, at any rate, as blameless. The storeroom, similarly, was so full up with trunks and lumber as to be out of the question.