He fell into a profound reverie, which lasted until the sun went down and the light began to grow dim and the air chill within that lonely dwelling.
An impatient and prolonged whinny from his horse at length aroused him from his painful musings, when he arose, and, taking the trunk with him, he left the house, brought forth his horse from his long fast, and started on his homeward way.
It was quite dark when he reached Vue de l’Eau, and, by exercising a little caution, he managed to effect an entrance to his library unobserved, where he immediately concealed the trophy which he had that day discovered.
While Colonel Mapleson had been engaged with his laborious search at the Hermitage, his son was earnestly pursuing investigations elsewhere.
After stealing noiselessly away from the cottage, where he had discovered his father within it looking over that trunk, he only proceeded as far as the old mill, where he again dismounted, and leading his horse beneath a shed that was attached to it, and which was so thickly overgrown with vines that it made a very secure hiding-place, he fastened him to a post, after which he climbed the stairs to the main portion of the crazy structure, and remained there, watching until he saw Colonel Mapleson leave the cottage, and when he was well out of sight he stole back to the mysterious little house, resolved not to leave it again until he, too, had seen the contents of that hitherto unsuspected trunk, and learned the secret of its being there.
He effected an entrance the same way that he had done before—by shaking loose the bolt on the kitchen door—made his way to the bedroom, lifted the valance of the couch and looked eagerly beneath it.
The trunk was there.
It was the work of but a moment to pull it forth from its hiding-place, but it was not so easy to open it.
He pried patiently at the lock for a long time before he succeeded in forcing it; but it gave way at last, and, with a thrill of expectation, mingled with something of awe and dread, he laid back the lid to examine the contents.