Part 7 (2/2)
”Mean to do? I--I don't think I understand.”
”Are you content to be a young lady amateur who plays well enough to entertain her friends in her own drawing-room, or do you mean to work seriously, and make a first-rate performer? You can do as you like.
You have the talent. It is for yourself to decide.”
Norah's face was a study in its raptured excitement. ”Oh-oh!” she cried breathlessly, ”I'll work--I don't care _how_ hard I work! I love it so much. I want to do my very, very best.”
”Then I'll work too, and do all I can to help you!” said Mr Morris in return. He jumped off the table as he spoke, and advanced towards her, rubbing his hands as one who prepares for a pleasant task. ”Now then!”
he cried; and for the next hour Norah was kept hard at work, with never another word of praise, but with many sharp corrections and reminders to call attention to hitherto unsuspected faults. She was radiantly happy, nevertheless, for the first step towards correcting a fault was to discover its existence, and what was the good of a teacher who did not point out what was wrong? At four o'clock Mr Morris took his departure, and Norah found that Edna had retired to her room to rest, as was her custom every afternoon. Mrs Freer was also invisible, but Rex came to join her in the drawing-room, looking particularly cheerful and self-satisfied.
”Well, has the old fellow departed? How are the knuckles? Is he any good? He looks a miserable little shrimp.”
”He's a delightful teacher! I like him immensely! He told me I could be a splendid player if I would only work hard enough.”
”Oh, well, I could have told you as much as that myself.” It was clear that Rex thought it the polite thing to inquire about the success of the music lesson, but also that his attention was fixed on some other subject. ”Look here!” he said suddenly, ”the mater and Edna always rest for an hour or two in the afternoon, and I promised to look after you until they come down. Would you like a real, genuine--bloodcurdling adventure?”
Norah gave a shriek of delight. ”Rather, just! I should think I would.
What is it?”
”You can pin up your dress, and put on a big old coat?”
”Yes--yes!”
”And you won't mind if you do get grimy?”
”Not a bit I'm used to--I mean, I can soon wash myself clean again.”
”Come along then! Follow me, and tread lightly. I don't want anyone to see where we are going.” And Rex led the way down the cellar stairs, while Norah followed, afire with curiosity.
CHAPTER TEN.
A DANGEROUS ADVENTURE.
The Manor house dated back for nearly two hundred years, and the underground premises were of an extent unknown in modern houses. Rex led the way through various flagged divisions, and leaving behind was.h.i.+ng, wine, and coal cellars, came at last to a large door, locked and bolted. Here he stopped, and drawing a bunch of keys from his pocket, fitted one into the lock, and pushed and dragged at the door until it opened before him. ”Now then,” he said, turning to Norah, ”we will prepare for business! I've got a lantern here and two old coats; b.u.t.ton yourself up in this, and you will come to no harm. I found these old keys in a drawer to-day, and it struck me that one of them might fit this door, so I came down to experiment before coming back for you.
There is a tradition that there is a subterranean pa.s.sage leading from this house to the lake, and I believe I have discovered the entrance.
I'll show you what I mean. Be careful how you tread, for the floor is strewed with rubbish.”
He took Norah by the arm as he spoke, and led her forward for two or three steps. At first the darkness appeared impenetrable, but presently her eyes became accustomed to the imperfect light, and she saw that she was standing in a long apartment, filled with all manner of odd, injured, and useless articles. Sc.r.a.ps of broken furniture, balks of timber, and strangely-shaped pieces of iron lay on every side. It was evidently a lumber-room of past generations which had been deserted by later tenants, for the grated windows were thick with dust, and the cobwebs hung in wreaths on the walls. Rex lighted the lantern, closed the door as quietly as might be, and dodged in and out the piles of rubbish to the far end of the cellar. ”Come here! What do you think of this?” he cried triumphantly; and Norah groped her way forward, to find him standing before a part of the wall which had been broken down for some purpose and left unrepaired. The stones and mortar were piled high on the ground, and hidden behind them was a large hole opening into a dark pa.s.sage. ”This looks like the genuine article, doesn't it? Are you game to explore, and see where it leads?” queried Rex; and Norah a.s.sented eagerly--
”Oh, yes, yes; I should love it! It looks so beautifully mysterious.
There may be hidden treasures. Would they belong to me if I found them?”
”You would have a share, of course; the rest would be mine because I discovered the opening. Now then, I'll go first, and hold the lantern; you will have to stoop, but it may get higher as we go along.”
The pa.s.sage proved to be smooth, and, to Norah's relief, quite dry and free from those ”creepy, crawly animals” which were the only things about which she was really nervous. But Rex was wrong in thinking that it might improve in height, for it grew ever narrower and lower as they progressed, until at times they were obliged to bend almost double.
”This is the way people have to crawl about inside the Pyramids,” said Rex. ”It's a queer kind of place, but I mean to go on until I find where it leads. I say, though! don't you come on if you would rather not. You could go back to the cellar and wait for me.”
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