"What has occasioned your sudden interest in the thing?" I asked
wearily.
"It is a long story," he replied; "and I have an idea that there's no
time to be lost in solving the Riddle!"
However, even Lorian's enthusiasm flagged at last. We were forced to
admit ourselves hopelessly beaten by the Riddle. I went to my own room
feeling thoroughly tired. But I was not destined to sleep long. A few
minutes after closing my eyes (or so it seemed), came a clamouring at
the door.
I stumbled sleepily out of bed, and, slipping on my dressing-gown,
admitted Lorian. Colonel Reynor stood immediately behind him.
"Most extraordinary business!" began the latter breathlessly. "Sybil
had--_you_ tell him, Harry!"
"Well," said Lorian, "it is not unexpected! Listen: Sybil woke up a
while ago, with the idea that she had forgotten something or lost
something--you know the frame of mind! She went to her dressing-table
and found the family ring missing!"
"_The_ ring!" burst in the Colonel excitedly. "Amazing!"
"She remembered having taken it off, during the evening, to--er--to put
another one on! But she was unable to recall having replaced it. She
determined to run down and see if she had left it upon the seat in the
corner of the library. Well, she went downstairs in her dressing-gown,
and, carrying a candle, very quietly, in order to wake no one, crossed
to the library and searched unavailingly. She heard a faint noise
outside in the hall."
Lorian paused. Felix Hulme had joined the party.
"What's the disturbance?" he asked.
"Oh," said Lorian, turning to him, "it's about Sybil. She was down in
the library a while ago to look for something, and heard a sort of
grating sound out in the hall. She came out, and almost fell over an
iron-bound chest, about a foot and a half long, which stood near the
bottom of the staircase!"
"Good heavens, Lorian!" I cried, "how had it come there?"
"Sybil says," he resumed, "that she could not believe her eyes. She
stooped to examine the thing ... and with a thrill of horror saw it to
be roughly marked _with a skull and cross-bones_!"
"My dear Lorian," said Hulme, "are you certain that Miss Reynor was
awake?"
"She woke _us_ quickly enough!" interrupted the Colonel. "Poor girl, she
was shaking dreadfully. Thought it was a supernatural appearance. She's
with her mother now."
"But the box!" I cried. "Where is the box?"
"That's the mystery," answered Colonel Reynor. "I was downstairs two
minutes later, and there was nothing of the kind to be seen! Has our
Ragstaff ghost started walking again, I wonder? You ought to know,
Hulme; you're in the Turret Room--that is the authentic haunted
chamber!"
"I was aroused by the bell ringing," replied Hulme. "I am a very light
sleeper. But I heard or saw nothing supernatural."
"By the way, Hulme," said my friend, "the Turret Room is directly above
the hall. I have a theory. Might I come up with you for a moment?"
"Certainly," replied Hulme.
We all went up to the Turret Room. Having climbed the stairs to this
apartment, you enter it by descending three steps. It is octagonal and
panelled all around. My friend tapped the panels and sounded all the
oaken floor-boards. Then, professing himself satisfied, he bade Hulme
good night, and accompanied me to my room.