Part 4 (1/2)

”Go on, then.”

Fred hesitated a few moments, and then holding the candle as far forward as he could he lay down, but instead of rolling, shuffled himself along under the landing, finding plenty of room for his journey, and pus.h.i.+ng the light onward as he crept sidewise.

”Coming, Scar?” he whispered rather hoa.r.s.ely.

”Yes, I'm coming. Mind the candle doesn't set fire to anything. What's that?”

”Only a cobweb burning. The place is full of them; and--Oh, Scar!”

”What is it?”

”I can get my legs down here, and--yes, it's a narrow pa.s.sage, and I can stand upright.”

Wondering more and more, Scarlett shuffled along to his companion, and directly after they were standing together in a pa.s.sage so strait that they could barely pa.s.s along it as they stood square, their shoulders nearly touching the sides.

”Yes, it's a pa.s.sage, sure enough,” said Scarlett, in an awe-stricken whisper, as by the light Fred held he could see that the sides and ceiling were of rough oak panelling, the floor being flagged with stone.

”Shall we go on?” whispered Fred.

”Yes. Why not? You're not afraid, are you?”

”Yes, a little. It's all so strange. Don't you feel a little--”

”Yes, just a little; but there can't be any thing to be afraid of. You must go first.”

Fred hesitated a few moments, and then went on for quite forty feet, when the narrow pa.s.sage turned off at a right angle for about another twenty, when it again bent sharply round in the same direction as at first.

”This cannot be a chimney?” whispered Scarlett, for the darkness and heavy dusty air seemed to oppress them.

”No; they wouldn't make a chimney of wainscotting. Oh!”

”What have you found?”

”Look here; a lot of stone steps.”

The boys stood looking at the old stone stairway, which seemed to invite them to a higher region, but still as narrow as the pa.s.sage.

The stones were dusty, and cobwebs hung in all directions; but everything seemed as if it had been unused ever since the architect put the finis.h.i.+ng touches to the place.

The two boys looked at the stairway, Fred holding up the candle, and Scar peering over his shoulder for some moments before the former spoke.

”Think we'd better go back now.”

”Yes,” said Scarlett; ”only doesn't it seem cowardly?”

Fred remained silent for a while, and then said with a sigh--

”I suppose it does. Come on.”

”Are you going up?”