E. Nesbit

“ We'd sell them and rebuild Arden Castle like it used to be, wouldn't we?"
"We'd give Auntie Edith a few jewels, I think, wouldn't we? She is such a dear, you know."
"Yes; she should have first choice. I do believe we're on the brink, and I feel just exactly like as if something real was going to happen—not in history, but here at Arden—Now-Arden."
"I do hope we find the jewels," said Elfrida. "Oh, I do! And I do hope we manage the lively young girl all right."
Mrs. Honeysett's best dress was a nice bright red—the kind of colour you can see a long way off. ”

“ Fitzgerald here, and the talk turned on highway robbery, and on Arden Castle here, with other matters. And these gentlemen, with others of the party, laid me a wager—five hundred guineas it was—that I would not rob a coach. I took the wager. And I wagered beside that I would rob a coach of the Arden jewels, and that I would lie a night at Arden beside, and no one should know my name there. And I have done all three and won my wager. I am but newly come home from foreign parts, so your cousin could not know my face. But zounds, child! ”

“ All the servants know."
"The gentlemen came, no doubt, to protect Miss Arden, in case the villainous highwayman should have hidden behind the window curtain. Oh, but the wise child it is—has a care for every weak point in our armour!"
Then he told his friends the whole of the adventure, and they laughed very merrily, for all they had lost their wager, and went home to breakfast across the dewy fields.
"It's nice of him to think me brave and all that," Elfrida told herself, "but I do wish he'd really been the King." ”

“ She could not show him then, because, in point of fact, she did not know. She only knew there was a secret spring, and she was feeling for it with both hands among the carved wreaths of the panels, as she stood with one foot on each of the arms of a very high chair—the only chair in the room high enough for her to be able to reach all round the panel. Suddenly something clicked and the secret door flew open—she just had time to jump to the floor, or it would have knocked her down.
Then she climbed up again and got into the hole, and Edred handed her the candle. ”

“ Honeysett, "and you be quick about it. You ain't got into no mischief this morning, have you? You look as though butter wouldn't melt in either of your mouths, and that's always a sign of something being up with most children."
"No, indeed we haven't," said Elfrida earnestly, "and we don't mean to either. And our looking like that's only because we brushed our hairs with wet brushes, most likely. It does make you look good, somehow; I've often noticed it."
"I've been flying round this morning," Mrs. Honeysett went on, "so as to get down to my sister's for a bit this afternoon. ”

“ Bet touched the secret spring, and when Elfrida had climbed into the dark hole—which she did quite easily—handed her the supper-tray.
"Oh, bother," said Elfrida, setting it down at her feet with great promptness. "It's too heavy. He'll have to come down and fetch it. Give me a candle and shut the panel, and tell me which way to go." ”

“ Well might she request her careless brother to look out. As he reached up to touch the carving, the chair tilted, he was jerked forward, caught at the carving to save himself, missed it, and fell forward with all his weight against the half-open door. It shut with a loud bang. Then a resounding crash echoed through the quiet house as Edred and the big chair fell to the floor in, so to speak, each other's arms.
There was a stricken pause. Then Elfrida from the other side of the panel beat upon it with her fists and shouted—
"Open the door! You aren't hurt, are you?" ”

“ She knew that the beautiful gentleman in the secret chamber was not lying down, but sitting to his supper.
"But Miss Arden said 'All is lost,' and she knew 'twas he whom we sought."
"Well," Elfrida carefully explained, "it's like this. You see, we were robbed by a highwayman to-day, and I think that upset my cousin. She's rather easily upset, I'm afraid."
"Very easily," several voices agreed, and some one added that it was a hare-brained business.
"The shortest way's the best," said the plum-coloured gentleman. "Is Sir Edward Talbot here?" ”

“ She's not so well again, poor old dear, and I might be kept late. But my niece Emily's coming up to take charge. She's a nice lively young girl; she'll get you your teas, and look after you as nice as nice. ”