"Perhaps we overlooked something," I volunteered.
"It is a most unusual archæological discovery," offered King.
"There is an explanation," cried Betty. "We have overlooked something. I know it. There must be."
"It's no go," answered Hugh despondently. "I've brought you on a wild-goose chase."
We all looked rather white and wan in the cold light of the electric torches.
"It's not your fault, old man," I said after a moment's silence, trying dismally to be cheerful. "The lead looked good. We followed it because we hoped it would make you rich. We failed, and that's that."
Betty stared wildly from one to the other of us.
"You all make me tired," she exclaimed. "Why should we give up hope? How long have we looked, so far? What— Oh, let me by! I must think!"
She brushed by me into the fake passage, and the echo of her footfalls reached us as she ascended to the garden.
"We might as well follow her," said Hugh. "I'm awfully sorry, you chaps. You risked your lives for this rotten show. My poor deluded ancestor! I expect most of these buried treasure stories are bunk, anyway. In fact, I have a dim recollection of telling poor Uncle James as much. And there's another thing to make the gods laugh! A fine old cock like Uncle James devoting his whole life to following a will-o'-the-wisp—and then losing it for nothing. It—it's—oh, Hell, I suppose it's really funny!"