"That's true," admitted Connie. "And of course in all the centuries, numbers of people have been there."
"Considering the brisk trade in smuggling that was done in Jersey during the 1700's, I think the chances of finding anything in the Manor cave are very small," agreed her father. "There is one thing, though, we might look at."
As he spoke, he rose and produced his keys. Swinging back a portrait on hinges, he disclosed a small safe built into the wall. Win was silent through interest in this novel way of concealing a strong-box, but Constance jumped up.
"What are you looking for. Daddy? Oh, the plans of the Manor."
"You see," said the Colonel to Win as he sat clown again, a discolored roll of papers in his hand, "the original Manor house has been added to from time to time. Let us see what it comprised in the days when Richard Lisle read his Psalter and wrote his letter. It is possible that something then outside the wall may now be inside the house."
"There's a number of queer things about this old place," said Connie, sharing Win's look of expectation. "Max and I have run a good many of them to earth, but there may be something yet. Certainly we never stumbled on any Spanish chest."
The two young people helped the Colonel spread the plans and arrange paper-weights to keep them flat.
"This comprises not only the house itself but the grounds," he began.
"They run as you see to the cliffs of the bay. The cave is there."
"I never knew that," said Win. "Is it large?"
"Nothing like Plémont or even La Grecq," Constance replied. "Those are the show caves of Jersey. There are many as big as ours. It's a rather rough walk, Win, and the cave is accessible only at low tide. I did say something about it once to Edith and Frances, but they didn't understand, and after they were caught by the tide, I thought it would be better for them not to know of it. You see one can get shut in till the next low water. There's no danger because the vault is so high that the tide doesn't fill it. In fact, Max deliberately stopped there once."