"I don't know. But when the Civil War broke out, Richard's son Miles was the master of Pirate's Haven. The once-great fortune of the family had shrunk. Business losses in the city, floods, a disaster at sea, had emptied the family purse--" "The Luck getting in its dirty work by remote control," supplied the irrepressible Val. "Perhaps. Young Miles had married in his teens, and the call to the Confederate colors brought both his twin sons under arms as well as their father. "Miles, the father, fell in the First Battle of Bull Run. But Miles, the son and elder of the twins, a lieutenant of cavalry, came out of the war the only surviving male of his family. "His brother Richard had been wounded and was home on sick leave when the Northerners occupied New Orleans. Betrayed by one of his former slaves, a mulatto who bore a grudge against the family, he was murdered by a gang of bullies and cutthroats who had followed the invading army. "Richard had been warned of their raid and had managed to hide the family valuables in a secret place--somewhere within this very hall, according to tradition." Val and Ricky sat up and looked about with wondering interest. "But Richard was shot down in cold blood when he refused to reveal the hiding-place. His brother and some scouts, operating south without orders, arrived just in time to witness the last act. Miles Ralestone and his men summarily shot the murderers. But where Richard had so carefully concealed the last of the family treasure was never discovered. "The war beggared the Ralestones. Miles went north in search of better luck, and this place was allowed to molder until it was leased in 1879 to a sugar baron. In 1895 it was turned over to a family distantly connected with ours. And since then it has been leased. We have had in all four tenants." "But," Ricky broke in, "since the Luck went we have not prospered. And until it returns--" Rupert tapped out his pipe against one of the fire irons. "It's nothing but a folk-tale," he told her. "It isn't!" Ricky contradicted him vehemently. "And we've made a good beginning anyway. We've come back." "If Rick took the Luck with him, I don't see how we have an earthly chance of finding it again," Val commented. "It came back once before after it had gone from us," reminded his sister. "And I think that it will again. At least I'll hope so." "Outside of the superstition, it would be well worth having. The names of the heads and heirs of the house are all engraved along the blade, from Sir Roderick on down. Seven hundred years of history scratched on steel." Rupert stretched and then glanced at his wrist-watch. "Ten to ten, and we've had a long day. Who's for bed?" "I am, for one." Val swung his feet down from the couch, disturbing Satan who opened one yellow eye lazily. Ricky stood by the fireplace fingering the wreath of stiff flowers carved in the stone. Val took her by the arm.