BREATHING SPACE
" Arras ? " said Palin.
" About fifty feet/' said Hubert. " And behind it,
a wall like marble. There's nothing there."
" Shutters ? " said Olivia,
" Never a one/' said I. " Plenty of doorways,
though. I should think there are fifty-five/'
" Electric light ? " said Palin.
" Next to none/' said Hubert. " We shall have to
run out a wire."
" That's easy/' said Palin. " A word to the steward
will certainly do the trick. I never saw such a man.
You ought to have seen the menus he brought Olivia
to-day."
" Yes, but what shall we tell him ? " said Hubert.
" If I were you/^1 said Olivia, " I'd tell him the
truth."
" Not the whole truth ? " said Palin.
" No.   But nothing but the truth."
" She's right/' said I. " I'm sure we can trust the
man."
After a little discussion we decided to take this step
as soon as luncheon was done. Then Olivia and Palin
returned to their Gordian knot, while Hubert and I
inspected such drawers and cupboards as our great-
uncle's keys would unlock.
Here we found nothing that had any bearing at all
on the matter in hand. Though it was possible that
Harris had discovered papers which Bunch and Bugle
had been careful to take away, I do not believe this
was so: and I think the truth is that our great-uncle
kept no record of his efforts to find out the secret the
castle kept. I shall always believe that he was upon
its track—how close, I have no idea: but, though he
had lived and had brought us out to help him, I cannot