米尔德里德、伊内兹和宝贝简被解救出来了，约翰等人对墙内部的秘密和米尔德里德来这里的目的深感怀疑，最后米尔德里德决定把自己的故事坦白地、毫无保留地告诉大家……
At four o'clock in the afternoon Patsy rubbed her eyes，yawned and raised her head from her pillow.
"Dear me！"she sighed，"I'm tired yet，but this sleepingin the daytime is unnatural.I wonder if Beth is awake."She went to the door of the adjoining room，opened it and found her cousin dressing.
"Do you suppose anyone else is up？"she inquired.
"See there，"replied Beth，pointing through the window.
Patsy saw.Mr.Runyon was seated on a garden bench in earnest conversation with Mildred Travers.
"Didn't he go home this morning，after the excitementwas over？"she asked.
"No，"replied Beth."Mr.and Mrs.Hahn drove their car home，but our interesting neighbor at the north，Mr.Bul Run，declared there was nothing at his own ranch half so enticing as a bed here.He's a bachelor，it seems，and leads rather a lonely life.So Arthur gave him a room and he went to bed；but it seems he has had his sleep out and is indulging in other recreations."Patsy was eyeing the couple in the garden.
"Mr.Runyon seems to have struck up a friendship with your protégéMildred，"she observed.
"Yes，"answered Beth."You know he was shut up in the wall with her and Inez for awhile and the adventure must have made them feel well acquainted.Wasn't that imprisonment a most peculiar thing，Patsy？""Very peculiar.I haven't had much time to think about it，for as soon as Toodlums was safe in Louise's arms I went to bed.But it occurs to me to wonder how Mildred Travers knew so much of the secrets of this absurd old house and why she ventured to explore the hidden rooms in our absence.Put that with the fact that she lived in these parts as a girl，and with her eagerness to come out here—don't you remember her fervent 'thank heaven'？—and it seems the whole mystery isn'tunraveleda yet；it's only getting more tangledb."Beth was thoughtful for a time.
"I am sure Mildred will have some explanation to make，"she said presently."Don't let us judge her just yet，Patsy.And I advise you to get dressed，for there's Louise wheeling the baby，and perhaps everyone else is downstairs but us.""Louise and baby both slept all through that awful night，"remarked Patsy，again yawningc."No wonder they're up and around and looking bright and happy."But she took her cousin's hint and dressed so rapidly that she descended the stairs only afew moments after Beth did.
Uncle John，the major and Arthur were in the court，smoking and sipping coffee.The events of the past night were still being earnestly discussed by them and much speculation was indulged in concerning the rooms in the hollow wall and the uses to which they had been put during the pioneer dayswhen Cristoval constructed them，and even afterward when his son，the last owner，had occupied the premises.
"The entire ranch，"said Arthur，"as well as this house，was sold by the executors appointed by the court，for it seems that Cristoval had no heirs in this country.The money was sent over to Spain and divided among a host of relations，the executors were discharged，and that ended the matter as far as the law is concerned.But I am sure the secret of the wall was at that time unknown to any，for otherwise the furniture in those narrow rooms，some of which is expensive and valuable on account of its unique carving，and the bins of wine and other truck，would have been sold with the other 'personal possessions.'I bought this place of a man who had purchasedit at the executors'sale but never has lived in it.All the rooms were stripped bare，which goes to prove that the hidden recesses in the walls were unknown.Now，the question is，do I legally own the contents of that wall，or don't I？""I stepped into the rooms，this morning，with the others，but merely glanced around a bit，"said Mr.Merrick."I've an idea you may rightfully claim whatever is there.The value of such old，odd pieces is arbitrary and they wouldn't total enough at an auction sale to bother about.My idea，Arthur，is that you remove whatever you care to retain，stop up the rat holes，and then seal up the place forever.""I suppose，"remarked the major，"those hollow places in the wall were of real value in the days of wild Indians andmurdering highwaymen.But，as John Merrick says，they're of no use to anyone now，but rather a source of danger.""Was that door left open？"asked Patsy.
"Yes；and I put a brace against it，so it couldn't close and shut us out，"replied Arthur.
"That doesn't matter；Mildred knows the way in，"said Beth."The whole trouble was that Inez closed the door behind them and they couldn't manage to get out again."Mr.Merrick sipped his coffee re？ectively.
"That girl，"said he，"ought to explain how she knows so much—and so little.""And what she was doing in the secret rooms，"added the major.
"She'll do that，"piped a high voice，and in saunteredaMr.Runyon and sat down to pour himself some coffee."I've just left Miss—er—er—Travers，and she has decided to tell you all her whole story，frankly and without reservation，and then she wants to ask your advice.""Whose advice？"demanded Arthur.
"Everybody's advice.She asked mine，a little while ago，and I told her to put it up to the crowd.The poor thing has had a sad history and there's a bit of romance and tragedy connected with it；but she has been quite blameless.I haven't known you people long，but I'll bank on your generosity and fairness，and that's what I told the poor girl.""Where is she now？"asked Patsy.
