"Yes," he said, "it is easy to see that."

"Well, would you like to hear the end of the story about Sir James and
his treasure?"

"Certainly; it interests me very much."

"It positively /fascinates/ me," said Ida with emphasis.

"Listen, and I will tell you. After they had shot old Sir James they
took the Bible off him, but whether or no Colonel Playfair ever sent
it to the son in France, is not clear.

"The story is all known historically, and it is certain that, as my
father said, he asked that his Bible might be sent, but nothing more.
This son, Sir Edward, never lived to return to England. After his
father's murder, the estates were seized by the Parliamentary party,
and the old Castle, with the exception of the gate towers, razed to
the ground, partly for military purposes and partly in the long and
determined attempt that was made to discover old Sir James's treasure,
which might, it was thought, have been concealed in some secret
chamber in the walls. But it was all of no use, and Colonel Playfair
found that in letting his temper get the better of him and shooting
Sir James, he had done away with the only chance of finding it that he
was ever likely to have, for to all appearance the secret had died
with its owner. There was a great deal of noise about it at the time,
and the Colonel was degraded from his rank in reward for what he had
done. It was presumed that old Sir James must have had accomplices in
the hiding of so great a mass of gold, and every means was taken, by
way of threats and promises of reward--which at last grew to half of