The four children crept downstairs through the dark and silent night.Nobody made a sound at all. They made their way to the study. Georgesoftly closed the door and then switched on the light.The children stared at the eight panels over the mantelpiece. Yes—therewere exactly eight, four in one row and four in the row above. Julianspread the linen roll out on the table, and the children pored over it."The cross is in the middle of the second panel in the top row," saidJulian, in a low voice. "I'll try pressing it. Watch, all of you!"He went to the fireplace. The others followed him, their hearts beatingfast with excitement. Julian stood on tiptoe and began to press hard inthe middle of the second panel. Nothing happened."Press harder! Tap it!" said Dick."I daren't make too much noise," said Julian, feeling all over the panelto see if there was any roughness that might tell of a hidden spring orlever.Suddenly, under his hands, the panel slid silently back, just as the onehad done at Kirrin Farm-house in the hall! The children stared at thespace behind, thrilled."It's not big enough to get into," said George. "It can't be theentrance to the Secret Way."Julian got out his torch from his dressing-gown pocket. He put it insidethe opening, and gave a low exclamation."There's a sort of handle here—with strong wire or something attachedto it. I'll pull it and see what happens."He pulled—but he was not strong enough to move the handle that seemedto be embedded in the wall. Dick put his hand in and the two boys thenpulled together."It's moving—it's giving way a bit," panted Julian. "Go on, Dick, pullhard!"The handle suddenly came away from the wall, and behind it came thickwire, rusty and old. At the same time a curious grating noise came frombelow the hearth-rug in front of the fireplace, and Anne almost fell."Julian! Something is moving under the rug!" she said, frightened. "Ifelt it. Under the rug, quick!"The handle could not be pulled out any farther. The boys let go, andlooked down. To the right of the fireplace, under the rug, something hadmoved. There was no doubt of that. The rug sagged down instead of beingflat and straight."A stone has moved in the floor," said Julian, his voice shaking withexcitement. "This handle works a lever, which is attached to this wire.Quick—pull up the rug, and roll back the carpet."With trembling hands the children pulled back the rug and thecarpet—and then stood staring at a very strange thing. A big flat stonelaid in the floor had slipped downwards, pulled in some manner by thewire attached to the handle hidden behind the panel! There was now ablack space where the stone had been."Look at that!" said George, in a thrilling whisper. "The entrance tothe Secret Way!""It's here after all!" said Julian."Let's go down!" said Dick."No!" said Anne, shivering at the thought of disappearing into the blackhole.Julian flashed his torch into the black space. The stone had slid downand then sideways. Below was a space just big enough to take a man,bending down."I expect there's a passage or something leading from here, under thehouse, and out," said Julian. "Golly, I wonder where it leads to?""We simply must find out," said George."Not now," said Dick. "It's dark and cold. I don't fancy going along theSecret Way at midnight. I don't mind just hopping down to see what it'slike—but don't let's go along any passage till to-morrow.""Uncle Quentin will be working here to-morrow," said Julian."He said he was going to sweep the snow away from the front door in themorning," said George. "We could slip into the study then. It'sSaturday. There may be no lessons.""All right," said Julian, who badly wanted to explore everything thenand there. "But for goodness sake let's just have a look and see ifthere is a passage down there. At present all we can see is a hole!""I'll help you down," said Dick. So he gave his brother a hand and theboy dropped lightly down into the black space, holding his torch. Hegave a loud exclamation."It's the entrance to the Secret Way all right! There's a passageleading from here under the house—awfully low and narrow—but I can seeit's a passage. I do wonder where it leads to!"He shivered. It was cold and damp down there. "Give me a hand up, Dick,"he said. He was soon out of the hole and in the warm study again.The children looked at one another in the greatest joy and excitement.This _was_ an Adventure, a real Adventure. It was a pity they couldn'tgo on with it now."We'll try and take Timmy with us to-morrow," said George. "Oh, Isay—how are we going to shut the entrance up?""We can't leave the rug and carpet sagging over that hole," said Dick."Nor can we leave the panel open.""We'll see if we can get the stone back," said Julian. He stood ontiptoe and felt about inside the panel. His hand closed on a kind ofknob, set deep in a stone. He pulled it, and at once the handle slidback, pulled by the wire. At the same time the sunk stone glided to thesurface of the floor again, making a slight grating sound as it did so."Well, it's like magic!" said Dick. "It really is! Fancy the mechanismworking so smoothly after years of not being used. This is the mostexciting thing I've ever seen!"There was a noise in the bedroom above. The children stood still andlistened."It's Mr. Roland!" whispered Dick. "He's heard us. Quick, slip upstairsbefore he comes down."They switched out the light and opened the study door softly. Up thestairs they fled, as quietly as Indians, their hearts thumping so loudlythat it seemed as if everyone in the house must hear the beats!The girls got safely to their rooms and Dick was able to slip into his.But Julian was seen by Mr. Roland as he came out of his room with atorch."What are you doing, Julian?" asked the tutor, in surprise. "Did youhear a noise downstairs? I thought I did.""Yes—I heard quite a lot of noise downstairs," said Julian, truthfully."But perhaps it's snow falling off the roof, landing with a plop on theground, sir. Do you think that's it?""I don't know," said the tutor, doubtfully. "We'll go down and see."They went down, but of course, there was nothing to be seen. Julian wasglad they had been able to shut the panel and make the stone come backto its proper place again. Mr. Roland was the very last person he wantedto tell his secret to.They went upstairs and Julian slipped into his room. "Is it all right?"whispered Dick."Yes," said Julian. "Don't let's talk. Mr. Roland's awake, and I don'twant him to suspect anything."The boys fell asleep. When they awoke in the morning, there was acompletely white world outside. Snow covered everything and covered itdeeply. Timothy's kennel could not be seen! But there were footmarksround about it.George gave a squeal when she saw how deep the snow was. "Poor Timothy!I'm going to get him in. I don't care what anyone says! I won't let himbe buried in the snow!"She dressed and tore downstairs. She went out to the kennel, flounderingknee deep in the snow. But there was no Timmy there!A loud bark from the kitchen made her jump. Joanna the cook knocked onthe kitchen window. "It's all right! I couldn't bear the dog out therein the snow, so I fetched him in, poor thing. Your mother says I canhave him in the kitchen but you're not to come and see him.""Oh, good—Timmy's in the warmth!" said George, gladly. She yelled toJoanna, "Thanks awfully! You _are_ kind!"She went indoors and told the others. They were very glad. "And _I've_got a bit of news for _you_," said Dick. "Mr. Roland is in bed with abad cold, so there are to be no lessons to-day. Cheers!""Golly, that _is_ good news," said George, cheering up tremendously."Timmy in the warm kitchen and Mr. Roland kept in bed. I do feelpleased!""We shall be able to explore the Secret Way safely now," said Julian."Aunt Fanny is going to do something in the kitchen this morning withJoanna, and Uncle is going to tackle the snow. I vote we say we'll dolessons by ourselves in the sitting-room, and then, when everything issafe, we'll explore the Secret Way!""But why must we do lessons?" asked George in dismay."Because if we don't, silly, we'll have to help your father dig away thesnow," said Julian.So, to his uncle's surprise, Julian suggested that the four childrenshould do lessons by themselves in the sitting-room. "Well, I thoughtyou'd like to come and help dig away the snow," said Uncle Quentin. "Butperhaps you had better get on with your work."The children sat themselves down as good as gold in the sitting-room,their books before them. They heard Mr. Roland coughing in his room.They heard their aunt go into the kitchen and talk to Joanna. They heardTimmy scratching at the kitchen door—then paws pattering down thepassage—then a big, inquiring nose came round the door, and there wasold Timmy, looking anxiously for his beloved mistress!"Timmy!" squealed George, and ran to him. She flung her arms round hisneck and hugged him."You act as if you hadn't seen Tim for a year," said Julian."It seems like a year," said George. "I say, there's my father diggingaway like mad. Can't we go to the study now? We ought to be safe for agood while."They left the sitting-room and went to the study. Julian was soonpulling the handle behind the secret panel. George had already turnedback the rug and the carpet. The stone slid downward and sideways. TheSecret Way was open!"Come on!" said Julian. "Hurry!"He jumped down into the hole. Dick followed, then Anne, then George.Julian pushed them all into the narrow, low passage. Then he looked up.Perhaps he had better pull the carpet and rug over the hole, in caseanyone came into the room and looked round. It took him a few seconds todo it. Then he bent down and joined the others in the passage. They weregoing to explore the Secret Way at last!
