She started down the basement stairs, but Bess hung back.
"Nonsense! It's only a boy," said Nan. "He's the very boy who pulled me out of the water the other morning. And he's somebody else, too!"
"I don't know what you mean, and I don't know where you're leading me," grumbled Bess.
"To the trunk-room," said Nan, answering one question.
"But that boy could not get in there. The door's locked."
In a few moments they were down the dark passageway and at the door. It was wide open.
"Now, how do you suppose that happened?" queried Bess. "Mrs. Cupp is so particular about keeping it locked."
"The boy opened it when he came through," said Nan.
"_From the inside?_" gasped Bess. "Do you think he's been hiding in one of the trunks?"
Nan showed her quickly that the knob of the spring lock was on the inside of the trunk-room door. One could easily get out of the room without a key.
"But for goodness' sake!" cried Bess. "Tell me how he got in here?"
"That's what I am going to show you," said her chum, laughing. As they walked down the long room, Nan snapping on a light here and there to show the way, she told her chum about the movable part of the partition and how she had made the discovery.
Bess' interest and curiosity was roused to the highest point.
"What did I tell you, Nan Sherwood?" Bess cried. "There is an underground passage down to the boathouse!"
They pushed down the movable part of the partition. It was dark inside, and dank, and there was a musty smell. Once assured that there was nothing supernatural about the black figure they had seen, Bess was as brave as a lion. She ran for a lantern which she knew was in the scullery, lit it, and brought it to Nan, who sat on the door over the mysterious well. By the light of the lantern the chums saw a flight of stone steps cut in the very rock of the bluff on which Lakeview Hall stood leading downward into a seemingly bottomless, walled pit.
"Here's the smugglers' path to the boathouse!" Bess declared eagerly.
"Well, I don't care," cried Bess, pouting, "I bet this is the way the boy went down. And came up, too, to frighten Mrs. Cupp."
"What did he want to frighten her for?" demanded Bess. "Did you hear what he said about his money? Maybe he's crazy. Oh, my!" and Bess hesitated with her foot on the top step.