The Secret of Steeple Rocks

  CHAPTER XV

  MORE DISCOVERY

  There was early rising at the Eyrie on the morning after they had sharedtheir supper with the new camper. Jack arrived from Steeple Rocks evenbefore the men who were to help Dalton, and wore his working clothes. Hereported that Peggy was up, expecting the girls at any time, but he drewLeslie aside, as he sometimes did, to tell her the developments atSteeple Rocks. Leslie was glad that Sarita was still getting ready, forSarita was inclined to tease her over Jack's preference. It was clearthat Jack valued Leslie's opinion on affairs at least.

  "My aunt is nervous and worried, Leslie," said Jack. "She announced thisdistinguished company about to arrive, but does not seem certain justwhen they will arrive. The Kravetz is back, but disappears for a longwhile and pays no attention to Peggy. I overheard her say to Mrs. Ivesthat it was absurd to dress up Peggy to help entertain '_for so short atime_.' Then my aunt said that she intended to have someone of her ownright at hand, and she said it almost in a tone of desperation. TheKravetz sometimes has an air of dictating to my aunt that I havewondered about.

  "Aunt Kit said 'all my own friends have been sent away on one excuse oranother and I have this lot of foreigners to entertain _again_, half thetime without my husband, I suppose!'

  "'He will be here,' the Kravetz said, 'and the Count and I will helpyou.'" Jack laughed. "The Kravetz got up and went into the house, andAunt Kit, who knew that I was in the hammock, came right over to me.'Jack,' she said, 'if I ever needed my own people it's now. Promise methat no matter how insulting Madame Kravetz or anyone may be, you willstay around.' So of course I promised, though if I get scared out at'royalty' I may come here and bring Peggy any time. Peg, though, is allkeyed up and tickled over her new clothes. It will be all right if Iescape to the Eyrie, will it?"

  "You know that it will, Jack," said Leslie heartily. "Do you know whoany of them are?"

  "No, not by name. I supposed that they were people of title that my auntand uncle met abroad; but from something she said I think that they arepeople whom she has never met at all. Yet she spoke of entertaining them'again.' How do you account for that, Leslie?"

  "Perhaps she has had to entertain a different lot of them some othertime," said Leslie.

  "I expected you to say that. I rather think that she has, and if theyare like the Kravetz, well, good-night!"

  Leslie laughed at Jack's expression, but Jack looked around to see thatno one was near and bent to say something low into Leslie's ear. "Jack!"she exclaimed, as if startled. Then she looked into his eyes. "Jack,you've got it! That must be the matter over there,--and your auntsuspects it, but isn't sure, or else,--"

  Leslie broke off, for Sarita was coming. They both turned with smilesand Leslie said, "Jack was just telling me of all the excitement overthe guests that are coming. He does not appreciate it at all and wouldrather help build log cabins, I guess."

  As Dalton came up to claim Jack, the girls started toward Steeple Rocks.Sarita led the way, partly by the woods, but they decided to enter thegrounds near the cliffs and Sarita suggested visiting the "Retreat," orPeggy's little Eyrie.

  They found the rocks slippery from the mist, but the more cautiousLeslie followed Sarita's lead and they reached the cave withoutaccident. "That was a bit risky, Sairey," she said. "We'd better comehere when it is dry." But Sarita hushed her and reminded her that theyhad come to see if they could notice smoke again.

  Stooping, they went as far back as they could and Sarita observed that apiece of rock was loose at the hole where Peggy had been tempted tocrawl in. She knelt and tugged at it, without any particular purposeexcept that of general investigation. To her surprise, it gave way andshe nearly fell backward, losing her hold upon the rock, which rolled inthe other direction, instead of out, though it seemed to stop with abump against something.

  Sarita looked up at Leslie with a comical expression as she straightenedherself and leaned forward to the opening again. She was about to saysomething, when to the girls' surprise they heard an exclamation, "Whatis that?" someone asked. Both girls instinctively drew back and puttheir fingers to their lips in warning to each other. But what they nextheard they placed more as if the sound were conveyed through a speakingtube in this curious place.

  Another voice was answering. "Rocks fall once in a while. There's quitea crack by you. It's more or less honeycombed, but there is no dangerhere."

  "I see. I noticed a little draught when I lit my cigaret." Morefollowed, but the persons speaking were not in the proper position nowfor more than a murmur to be heard.

  "How _lucky_ that we didn't say anything near that hole!" whisperedSarita, as both girls withdrew toward the entrance. "Do you suppose thatanything we _have_ said here has been heard?"

  "I scarcely think so. Something would have been done about it, you know.It looks as if the secret of Steeple Rocks were nearly ours, Sarita,doesn't it?"

  "It certainly does. Wait. I'm going back a minute." Sarita knelt againat the opening and thrust her head within, to Leslie's disapproval. Shefollowed her, catching hold of her dress and looking at the rocks aboveher to see if any more had been loosened. She was relieved when Saritadrew back again. "Too dark to see anything, Leslie," she reported whenthey were outside.

  They covered the rest of the way to Peggy's house with very littleconversation. "That was a stranger," Sarita commented.

  "The other voice was like the Count's," said Leslie.

  "Shall we tell Peggy?"

  "I suppose so," said Leslie doubtfully. She was thinking about that.What Jack suspected she would keep to herself for the present, but Peggyhad a right to know the secret of her Retreat.

  Peggy was delighted to see them and took them to her room for what shecalled the "gorgeous display," some very pretty but suitable frocks fora young girl about to mingle with others who had them. "It is going tobe quite a house party," Peggy said, "and a few of them may stay forsome time, Mother says. It's awfully interesting, though 'royalty'doesn't mean so much any more. We had a princess once while we were inFlorida and she had wonderful jewels. Mother thinks that there is onegirl about my age. You simply must come over, girls!"

  "Clothes, my dear Peggy. Wouldn't we look great to a grand duchess, inthis rig, for instance?"

  Leslie turned slowly around, with the air of a fashion show model,displaying a sweater much the worse for wear and her oldest gymbloomers. "I really meant to put on something better, like Sarita, but Ithought that I could sneak up to your room without your mother's seeingme, and we want to go out in the boat afterwards, or we _did_ want togo."

  "I mind the maids more than I do your mother," laughed Sarita. "The lasttime, you should have seen the scorn with which your mother's maidlooked at me."

  "Pooh! What's the difference? You girl's always look like somebody nice,no matter what you have on. Jack says so, too. But what has happened tochange you about going out in the boat? Is it going to be bad weather?"Peggy glanced toward the window, where sunshine was driving the mistsaway.

  "Mercy no! It's going to be a _wonderful_ day. Leslie, tell Peggy whatwe heard. It's a great discovery, Peggy."

  Peggy threw across the bed her most cherished frock which she had savedfor the last to show them, and clasped her hands together in hereagerness to hear what had happened. They all sat down together onPeggy's low day bed, a pretty wicker affair which stretched at the footof the other bed. Peggy was in the middle. A background of silk andfluffy chiffon and tulle behind them set off the three heads bent closetogether, as the girls related in whispers what had occurred.

  Peggy was delighted, with little thought of what the discovery mightimply. "Then there _is_ a cave somewhere! Girls, we have simply _got_ tofind it! Will you go back there now with me? I'll call Pugs, to hang upthe things, and get into my knickers and sweater in a minute!"

  Peggy's maid came into the room while the girls were still waiting forPeggy to scramble from one costume into another. She tried to smile andhelp
Peggy, but the girls could see that she had been crying. Peggyexplained as soon as they started out.

  "I didn't know that dear old Pugsy cared that much for me. I've been alot of trouble to her. But honestly, she's almost a part of the familyto Mother and me. Perhaps Mother can get out of it, but Dad says thatPugsy's got to leave. I must have a maid that speaks French now! If itwere Mother that wanted it, I could understand, but what does Dad carewhether I speak French or not?"

  "It will be fine when you travel," said Sarita.

  But Leslie, thinking of what Jack had said, wondered if Mr. Ives did notwant to employ another foreigner instead of "Pugsy."

  A dark-browed maid who was dusting in the hall looked at them in nonetoo friendly a way. Even Sarita spoke of it afterward. But Peggy paid noattention to their surroundings as they left the house behind and dartedpast flower beds and masses of shrubbery on their way to the rocks.

  Once there, Peggy viewed the hole and was duly impressed. She hadbrought a flashlight, which disclosed nothing but rock beyond the hole,with a slight descent to where the loose rock had rolled. Granite wallsand an arching ceiling were above.

  Leslie knew that it was foolish for all of them to enter, though Saritadeclared that never a rock could fall on them. Nevertheless the prospectwas so tempting that Leslie crawled in after the others. There was atleast good air within. They hoped to find a passage to the cave whencethe voices had come; but after a short distance, which they could coverwithout stooping, they were stopped by a granite wall as hard as therest of Steeple Rocks. There was a deep fissure, however, and there theycould feel a decided draught.

  The light turned off, they sat down to listen. Perhaps they could hearsomething more, if the people were still in the cave. Peggy suggestedthat perhaps they had heard the Count and someone back in the office. "Ifeel pretty sure that they have something back in the rock," whisperedshe, "perhaps a real cave, and more than just Dad's safe."

  But Leslie shook her head. "I may be mistaken, but I think that thiscame from below."

  As if to confirm her words, there came the sound of conversation, a meremurmur at first, then a few words very loudly conveyed by this queerspeaking tube which nature had provided. The next were fainter, and thenthere was the murmur. "He's walking around," Leslie suggested.

  Peggy had a picture of someone restlessly pacing a cave.

  "Well, I hope that Ives will hurry up this house party. I'm certainlysick of staying here. How do I make up as an English lord, Bill?"

  A hoarse laugh was the answer to this, but Bill was not standing soclose to the fissure, it was obvious.

  "And how am I going to get out of this?"

  "Same way you got in, by boat and at night."

  "Why can't I leave in the daytime if you can?"

  "Well, in the first place, you wouldn't care to play the fisherman, Ithink, the way you look now, or to stay in one o' the shacks with therest o' the crowd. I kin take you out to-night, if you want to go, butwhat I'm going to do now is to swim under water a ways. Want to try it?"

  "No thanks. But I'll join the rest to-night. A little dirt on my facewill make it all right, and I'd rather be with folks than in thisterrible place."

  "A little timid, huh?"

  "I'll show you whether I'm timid or not!"

  The girls were breathless, wondering what was going to happen, but theferocious Bill was evidently possessed of soothing powers. "No, nowthere ain't no call to git excited. There's going to be enough peoplehere when the schooner comes in."

  "Yes," sarcastically said the other man. "You're going to make enoughmoney to give up fishing by that time, aren't you?"

  "I might if they wasn't others I had to divide with," growled Bill. "Youpay attention to yer own affairs. You got it fixed with Ives aboutyerself?"

  "Yes."

  The girls heard Peggy gasp, but the voices were not sounding as ifeither man were very near the "Steeple Rocks speaking tube," as Lesliebegan to call it. Probably Peggy would not be heard.

  For some little time the girls sat still, in uncomfortable positions,but they heard nothing more. Peggy was the first to jump up, and by thelight of the flashlight which she carried, they all found their way backto the opening and crawled out. "I forgot to look, girls," said Leslie,"to see if there were other rocks that could get loose outside, andafter we were in there, listening to Bill and that other man, I began tothink what if a rock fell down and closed up this hole!"

  "We could have called down the speaking tube, Leslie," Sarita suggested.

  "Yes," said Peggy, "and have Bill see that we stayed in there forever!'Sad loss of three bright young people at Steeple Rocks', would be inthe paper."

  Peggy was so funny as she said this that Leslie and Sarita both laughed,though the subject was far from laughable. Peggy was frowning now."Let's go right now and tell Jack," she said. "I certainly heard enoughabout Dad, didn't I?"

  Neither Leslie nor Sarita replied to this question, for they knew thatPeggy did not expect comment. They were helping each other around thejutting part of the cliff now and did not resume conversation until theywere on the path. Then Peggy cried, "Oh, girls! I was going to watch tosee where Bill came out, weren't you?"

  "Yes," said Leslie. "I thought of it when Bill said that he was going to'swim under water a ways.' What possessed us? But, after all, we couldnot have seen anything from the Retreat. Come on; let's climb down sortof near your yacht dock, Peggy. Perhaps we can see Bill come out of thewater yet."

  This was no sooner said than done. As quickly as possible, the girlsfound a spot which would command most of the shore around the bay. Thegirls looked over the surface of the cliff, as they had done many timesbefore, without finding any opening. "If he has to swim under water, thecave _must_ be at the bottom," said Leslie, decisively, "and the onlyplace, girls, where a boat could go in, is in Pirates' Cove!"

  "Then Bill will swim out there and get to the rocks outside on _this_side,--unless he has a boat tied in the channel."

  "I think that it would be too great a swim to the channel, unless itwould be right near our dock around there, and Bill would run the riskof Mother's coming down to the beach or of somebody's seeing him fromthe house."

  "Your mother wouldn't be surprised to see Bill there,--not very, wouldshe, Peggy?"

  "Perhaps not. Let's get up a step higher. We can look over these rocksthen, and duck down if Bill should come out anywhere near the dock._Then_ we shall have to scamper up and out of sight as quickly aspossible." In spite of Peggy's evident chagrin at the implications aboutMr. Ives in the conversation which they had overheard, she was enjoyingthe excitement, Leslie could see. There might be some compensations forPeggy, Leslie thought, in the discovery of Mr. Ives' operations, if itled to her freedom from their shadow. But would it? What ought to bedone now? She must tell Jack at once,--so much was clear. But it mightbe even dangerous for anyone who interfered. Could Jack and Peggy keeptheir knowledge from Mr. Ives and that household of suspicious foreignservants? The more Leslie thought, the more undecided she felt.

  For some time the girls waited uneasily. Perhaps Bill had gone, orperhaps he was taking some time, making ready for the "enough people"who were to be there when the "schooner" came in! Probably they wouldmiss him altogether. No! There he was!

  Peeping over the rocks, the girls caught each other's hands in theirexcitement. Bill came up out of the water and shook it from him like abig mastiff. He looked around hastily to see if he were observed and thegirls kept very still. Sarita and Leslie, indeed, ducked behind therocks, but Peggy, who had taken a black silk handkerchief from her neck,wrapped it about her head and kept on looking.

  It was not very likely that Bill would see them, yet he might if helooked above on his way over the rocks from those at the base of SteepleRocks, where he had emerged from the Cove waters.

  Peggy gave the word to start up. "He's going over the rocks now. Stooplow and you'll get to the top in a jiffy! He'll only hope that wehaven't seen him, if he does see us. But it isn't
so wonderful for aperson to go in swimming anywhere here."