As she had so easily
discovered the spot where a hidden room might be situated, it would be
discovered with the same ease by those who were on the search for
fugitives, and who would naturally be well acquainted with the
positions where hiding-places would be likely to be situated. The
moment they looked into the cupboard, its shallowness would suggest to
them that there must be a wide empty space behind it, and by setting
to work with axes, picks, and crowbars, they would soon discover by
force the secret she was trying to penetrate by stratagem.
This reflection considerably damped her hopes; but she thought that
possibly from this easily-discoverable hiding-place there might be
some access, much more difficult to trace, to another lying below. At
any rate she determined that if she did find the secret entrance to
these little rooms, and found that they were empty she would not be
disheartened, but would search further until she found either some
secret closet where the will might be placed, or an entrance to some
perhaps larger hiding-place below. Her subsequent search outside
showed her that there existed several small iron gratings about six
inches long and three deep, close down to the soil of the border. No
doubt these were intended to give ventilation underneath the floors,
which were some two feet above the outside level, but one of them
might also afford ventilation to an underground chamber.
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