“Well, she may be mad on one point and sane on many,” remarked Marie pertinently, “she seems to hate Uncle Ran dreadfully.”
“That is because she ascribes her brother’s downfall to him. But don’t let us talk about such dreary matters, darling, but look over the house, and arrange how we will restore it when we are married.”
“And when we find the treasure,” cried Marie, skipping lightly up the steps to the open door. “Come in, Alan. We must make the best of our time before Uncle Ran returns.”
“He won’t be back until two o’clock.”
“So he says, but I don’t trust him. He’s always trying to catch me in mischief, as if I ever had a chance of doing any. I shouldn’t be surprised if he pounced down on us unawares.”
“In that case I can excuse myself by saying that I have come, at his request to see him,” said Alan promptly. “Lead the way, Marie, and let us look over the place from top to bottom.”
Marie assented very readily to be her lover’s cicerone, and for the next hour they were passing along corridors, peeping into rooms, ascending and descending stairs, and searching for secret chambers and outlets. All the time Marie talked, telling Alan tales about this room and that, which she had heard from Granny Trent, who had lived nearly the whole of her long life in the old building. But what struck Alan most was the absence of furniture. Room after room had been stripped bare, and the vast house gave him the impression of being an empty shell. Yet according to the old woman, whom they looked in to see in her particular den, the place had been crammed with treasures no later than twenty years ago when Mrs. Inderwick had died.
“But he’s sold them all,” mourned Granny, who did not seem to have much love for her master—“tables and chairs and wardrobes and pictures, and all manner of things, my dears. It’s a shame I say, for they belong to you, Miss Marie, and he ain’t got no right to get rid of your property.”
Granny was a lively, active woman, small and shrivelled in her looks, with twinkling black eyes and an expressive face. Age did not seem to have dulled her faculties, for she spoke clearly and to the point, and what is more, intimated that she could see through a brick wall, meaning in plain English—how easy it was to guess that the young couple were in love.
“And a very good thing too,” said granny nodding sagely; “you being handsome and good and kind-hearted, Mr. Alan, or you wouldn’t be the son of them dears at the vicarage else. Just you marry my lamb, sir, as soon as you can get your pa to read the service, if it’s only to look after him.”