At any rate the change was there, and I was
happier than I had been through the long journey. All her buoyancy,
her tenderness, her deep feeling seemed to shine forth once more; now
and again as her father’s eyes rested on her, his face seemed to light
up. Whilst we waited for the carts to arrive, Mr. Trelawny took us through
the house, pointing out and explaining where the objects which we had
brought with us were to be placed. In one respect only did he withhold
confidence. The positions of all those things which had connection
with the Great Experiment were not indicated. The cases containing them
were to be left in the outer hall, for the present. By the time we had made the survey, the carts began to arrive; and the
stir and bustle of the previous night were renewed. Mr. Trelawny stood
in the hall beside the massive ironbound door, and gave directions as
to the placing of each of the great packing-cases. Those containing
many items were placed in the inner hall where they were to be unpacked. In an incredibly short time the whole consignment was delivered; and
the men departed with a douceur for each, given through their foreman,
which made them effusive in their thanks. Then we all went to our own
rooms. There was a strange confidence over us all. I do not think
that any one of us had a doubt as to the quiet passing of the
remainder of the night. The faith was justified, for on our re-assembling in the morning we
found that all had slept well and peaceably. During that day all the curios, except those required for the Great
Experiment, were put into the places designed for them. Then it was
arranged that all the servants should go back with Mrs. Grant to London
on the next morning. When they had all gone Mr. Trelawny, having seen the doors locked, took
us into the study. “Now,” said he when we were seated, “I have a secret to impart; but,
according to an old promise which does not leave me free, I must ask
you each to give me a solemn promise not to reveal it. For three
hundred years at least such a promise has been exacted from everyone to
whom it was told, and more than once life and safety were secured
through loyal observance of the promise. Even as it is, I am breaking
the letter, if not the spirit of the tradition; for I should only tell
it to the immediate members of my family.”

We all gave the promise required. Then he went on:

“There is a secret place in this house, a cave, natural originally but
finished by labour, underneath this house. I will not undertake to say
that it has always been used according to the law. During the Bloody
Assize more than a few Cornishmen found refuge in it; and later, and
earlier, it formed, I have no doubt whatever, a useful place for
storing contraband goods. ‘Tre Pol and Pen’, I suppose you know, have
always been smugglers; and their relations and friends and neighbours
have not held back from the enterprise. For all such reasons a safe
hiding-place was always considered a valuable possession; and as the
heads of our House have always insisted on preserving the secret, I am
in honour bound to it. Later on, if all be well, I shall of course
tell you, Margaret, and you too, Ross, under the conditions that I am
bound to make.”

He rose up, and we all followed him. Leaving us in the outer hall, he
went away alone for a few minutes; and returning, beckoned us to follow
him. In the inside hall we found a whole section of an outstanding angle
moved away, and from the cavity saw a great hole dimly dark, and the
beginning of a rough staircase cut in the rock. As it was not pitch
dark there was manifestly some means of lighting it naturally, so
without pause we followed our host as he descended. After some forty
or fifty steps cut in a winding passage, we came to a great cave whose
further end tapered away into blackness. It was a huge place, dimly
lit by a few irregular slits of eccentric shape. Manifestly these
were faults in the rock which would readily allow the windows to be
disguised. Close to each of them was a hanging shutter which could
be easily swung across by means of a dangling rope. The sound of
the ceaseless beat of the waves came up muffled from far below. Mr.
Trelawny at once began to speak:

“This is the spot which I have chosen, as the best I know, for the
scene of our Great Experiment. In a hundred different ways it fulfils
the conditions which I am led to believe are primary with regard to
success. Here, we are, and shall be, as isolated as Queen Tera herself
would have been in her rocky tomb in the Valley of the Sorcerer, and
still in a rocky cavern. For good or ill we must here stand by our
chances, and abide by results. If we are successful we shall be able
to let in on the world of modern science such a flood of light from the
Old World as will change every condition of thought and experiment and
practice. If we fail, then even the knowledge of our attempt will die
with us. For this, and all else which may come, I believe we are
prepared!”  He paused. No one spoke, but we all bowed our heads
gravely in acquiescence. He resumed, but with a certain hesitancy:

“It is not yet too late! If any of you have a doubt or misgiving, for
God’s sake speak it now! Whoever it may be, can go hence without let or
hindrance. The rest of us can go on our way alone!”

Again he paused, and looked keenly at us in turn. We looked at each
other; but no one quailed. For my own part, if I had had any doubt as
to going on, the look on Margaret’s face would have reassured me. It
was fearless; it was intense; it was full of a divine calm. Mr. Trelawny took a long breath, and in a more cheerful, as well as in
a more decided tone, went on:

“As we are all of one mind, the sooner we get the necessary matters in
train the better. Let me tell you that this place, like all the rest
of the house, can be lit with electricity. We could not join the wires
to the mains lest our secret should become known, but I have a cable
here which we can attach in the hall and complete the circuit!”  As he
was speaking, he began to ascend the steps. From close to the entrance
he took the end of a cable; this he drew forward and attached to a
switch in the wall. Then, turning on a tap, he flooded the whole vault
and staircase below with light. I could now see from the volume of
light streaming up into the hallway that the hole beside the staircase
went direct into the cave. Above it was a pulley and a mass of strong
tackle with multiplying blocks of the Smeaton order. Mr. Trelawny,
seeing me looking at this, said, correctly interpreting my thoughts:

“Yes! it is new. I hung it there myself on purpose.