"When I was a girl，"continued Mildred，"I often cameto this house to visit.Sometimes I stayed here for several days，while my father talked with his old friend，old Se？or Cristoval.""That is a lie，"asserted Inez."I have ask Miguel，whois here forty years，an'was house servant for Se？or Cristoval.Miguel say there is no Se？or Travers who is friend of Se？or Cristoval.No Se？or Travers did ever come to this house for visit.What you say to that，Witch—Woman？"Mildred flushed and seemed embarrassed.Then she answered calmly：
"I think Miguel speaks truly，for my father did not bear the name of Travers.He was called by another name.""Then why do you call yourself Travers？"retorted the other.
Mildred hesitated.
"I did not like my old name，"she said，"and so I changed it.But this is a secret I have told you，Inez，and you must not tell anyone of it."Inez nodded，looking at the other curiously.Thisconfession had aroused her sympathy，for the ？rst time，for her fellow nurse.The fact that there was a secret between them dissolved to an extent her antipathya for Mildred，and it might be a bond to eventually draw them nearer together.With more tolerance than she had yet shown she asked：
"Did Se？or Cristoval show you the secrets of this house？""Yes.I was a little girl and he was good to me.I am not a witch—woman，Inez.Oh，if I were，I would witch a little happiness into my life！"she added miserably.
This burst of rebellious longing interested Inez even more than the secret.She could understand such a protest against fate.
"At first，"continued Mildred，reverting to her formercold speech，while the hard look，which for an instant had given way to a flash of sentiment，again crept into her eyes，"I thought I had forgotten the queer recesses and secret rooms built by the elder Cristoval；but now I am beginning to remember them.In the days when this wing was built，thecountry was wild and lawless.Robbers often visited a house in broad daylight and took away all that was of value；so the ？rst Cristoval—the father of the one I knew—made the secret place to hide his treasure in，and even to hide himself and his family if the thieves threatened them.""Is the treasure there now？"asked Inez eagerly.Mildred frowned，as if the question displeased her.
"Of course not.That was long ago.When I was a girl they no longer needed the rooms in the wall as a hiding—place from thieves；but they kept them secret，just the same.I think I am the only person Se？or Cristoval ever told.He did it to please me，I suppose，because I was a child."Inez was much impressed.She began to regard Mildred more amicablya.If she were not a witch—woman，she re？ected，there was no reason to fear her.The Mexican girl thought deeply on what she had heard，during the next half hour.She watched Mildred put the baby to sleep and then take up a book to read as she sat beside the crib.Inez went out into the deserted court and squattingb beside the fountain pondered upon the fascinating mysteries of the old house.
She crept back，presently，and reentered the nurserywhere Mildred was sitting.
"Tell me，"she began，in a friendly and familiar way that was new in her relations with the other girl，"are there indeed rooms hidden in these walls—big enough for people to hidein？"Mildred smiled and laid down her book.Inez in this moodwas worth cultivating，if she hoped to win her con？dence.It would be far easier to get on in her new situation if Inez would learn to like her.
Another thing influenced her：a reflection that had notbeen absent from her mind since the Weldons departed for the day and had left her practically in charge of the house.She had come to this house for a purpose.Could that purpose be best accomplished to—day，or at some later period？
"I believe，"she answered musingly，"that this wall backof us is hollow and contains several rooms，which may be entered at various secret places—if one knows where the places are.""They cannot be very big rooms，"said Inez in a hushed，awed voice，as she glanced at the wall.
"No；they must be narrow.But they are quite long and high—some of them—and there are stairs leading from one ？oor to another，just like the big stairs in the hall."Inez stared at her.
"How you know that？"she inquired.