"It's only the branch of a tree," Marjory whispered back.
Everything looked so eerie and unfamiliar in the moonlit darkness that Blanche began to wish she had not come; but as the expedition had been her suggestion from the first, she felt in honour bound to proceed.
Up the stairs they went, and round the gallery. Not a sign of anything unusual did they discover. There was no light, no sound of any kind. Something flitted across Blanche's face; she gave a little stifled scream.
Marjory turned and held up the candle. It came again, and she saw what it was.
"It's only a bat," she said reassuringly; "it won't hurt you."
"A bat!" echoed Blanche. "Oh, how horrible! They bite, don't they?"
"Oh no, they are quite harmless. Dear little soft things they are when you see them in the daylight, although they aren't pretty."
"O Marj, I don't like it; you won't let it come near me, will you?" And Blanche clung to her friend.
"No, you needn't be frightened; I'll keep it away."
Marjory could not exactly understand Blanche's fears, but she saw that they were real. She could see nothing to be afraid of in a tiny little bat, but the feeling that she was able to protect some one weaker than herself made her very tender towards her friend.
"We'll go back if you like," she whispered.
"No, no," replied Blanche breathlessly; "let's go on, now we've come so far."
On they went. They passed the door of the room which contained the old chest. Nothing was to be seen; but, turning a sharp corner at the end of one passage leading to another which was apparently a blind alley, they stopped suddenly.
There before them, at the end of this passage, was a faint seam of light, hardly perceptible. There it was, looking as if it came from under a door, but they knew that no door was there. Where could it come from? They looked all round, but could find no clue to the mystery. Marjory shaded the candle with her hand, in case the light might in some way be reflected from it; but no--there was the straight narrow seam, shining as before.
They crept along the passage until they stood in front of the wall. They felt cautiously for a handle, but there was none--no sign of anything in the shape of a door or entrance of any kind.