The Argosy — page 399: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

378 Yosodhara. “Within this wall you'll probably find the astral shell of an old person with a long beard and a turban, who will jump out on you,” said Kerr. ‘‘ It was doubtless he who rapped in the first instance. Perhaps I only invented that spider to soothe your nerves.” “Well, if he rapped, I expect he’d iike to come out,” said Rivers ; ‘“‘so here goes to the rescue.” And he swung the big chair away, and began poking and prying with the big blade of his pocket knife among the delicate Gothic tracery of the carved panel. “ Don’t be a fool, Rivers,” said Kerr, after a bit. ‘‘ That is not the way to discover secrets. If it’s really anything more than an accidental hollow, there’ll be a way of opening it without damaging your neigh- bour’s property. I have always understood that secret springs were inevitable in these cases.” ‘‘ Perhaps it opens from the other side.” ‘“Perhaps it doesn’t: the other side is a plain panel, which extends beyond the hollow on both sides. ‘This is the right side, if any is. Let’s press everything that looks as if it might have a spring 11 1b Which they did, with no results. ‘Oh, hang it all,” cried the artist ; ‘‘I shall go home and borrow the family hatchet,” and he caught hold of a projecting bit of oak and tried to shake the panel. The words were hardly out of his mouth before he felt a yielding beneath his hand, slight indeed, but very different from the solid resistance the wood had hitherto offered. The small projection in his hand was letting itself be drawn down, like a bolt, and presently the side of the panel against which he leaned turned slowly inwards as the other side’'came out ; the whole thing turning on a central pivot. ‘You've done it this time,” cried Kerr. ‘ Look out for ghosts ! ” They both drew back a pace or two as the panel, having reached a position at right angles with the rest of the wall, came to a stop with a click. The light from the window fell full on the opening and was quite enough to show all that there was to see, which was not much. ‘There had apparently once been a doorway here, which had been boarded up, and then used as a place of concealment, and later as a cupboard. There was one shelf, and on it something. In two minutes the friends had this something out on the stone window-ledge and were examining it. It was a square ebony box of exquisite Indian workmanship, inlaid with ivory, turtle-shell, and gold, and it was very heavy. The lid was loose, and came off without difh- culty. On the upper tray lay a few Oriental gems, chains and rings, and besides them a folded paper, duly endorsed as the Will of Robert Dalgleish, Esquire, of Langdale Abbey, in the county of Devonshire. Kerr lifted the tray. Under it, arranged in the neatest way, were piles of gold mohurs and a few English sovereigns: about 42000, they guessed. EORUGCOOOX<S.COll