“I should not care if it was not for the night, Charlotte.  I am always dreaming that Herbert is coming to my bedside and looking so stern and angry, and saying, ‘Let justice be done.’”

“Bah!” Miss Penfold said contemptuously.  “You must eat less supper, Eleanor.  If you were not such a coward you would not dream such things.  I have no patience with your folly.”

“I know it is foolish, Charlotte, but I can’t help it; my nerves were never as strong as yours.  I quite agreed with you from the first about it.  I think it was infamous that Herbert should have passed us over, and that it is not to be expected we should aid in the discovery of such a wicked will.  Still I can’t help being unhappy about it, and lying awake at night and dreaming.  No one can help their dreams.”

“Your dreams are a mere repetition of your thoughts,” Miss Penfold said scornfully.  “If you worry while you are awake, you will worry while you are asleep.  We have done nothing criminal.  We have meddled with no will, nor hidden one.  We simply refuse to aid in the discovery of an unjust document, and by so doing prevent a great wrong being done to ourselves.  To my mind the thing is perfectly simple, and my conscience wholly acquits me of any wrong-doing.”

Left to herself, Mrs. Conway took an earnest look round the room.  Somewhere no doubt within its limits lay the key of the secret that would give wealth to Ralph.  Where was it?  The walls were completely covered by bookshelves.  These were handsomely carved, and dark with age.  One of the Penfolds had evidently been a bookworm, and had spared no pains and expense in carrying out his hobby.  The housemaid had said that all the books had been removed, and that nothing had been found behind them.  Still there might well be some spring that had escaped their notice.  At any rate the ground must be gone over again.

Then the spring might lie among the carved work of the bookcases themselves.  This must be gone over inch by inch.  That was evidently the first work to be done.  The mantel and its supports were of richly carved woodwork.  These, too, must be searched.  In the first place, however, she had to carry out her work; and laying aside determinately all thought of the missing will, she began to dust and sweep.  At the end of an hour, when she happened to turn round, she saw Miss Penfold standing in the doorway.  She had not heard her footstep, and at once decided in her mind that it would be necessary to be extremely careful in her search, as at any moment Miss Penfold might look in upon her without warning.

“Have you nearly finished, Anna?” Miss Penfold asked.

“It will take me another hour at least to dust the woodwork properly, Miss Penfold.  I have done the carpet and furniture.”

Miss Penfold made no remark but went away again.

“She is not likely to come back for a few minutes,” Mrs. Conway said to herself.  “I think I can safely carry out one of my plans.”