The bust was a plaster one about six inches high, and it stood on a black marble block like a little pedestal. Mary had dusted it many times and she knew it was not fastened to the pedestal and that it was hollow. But was it also empty? While the girls were looking at the bust, Caliban suddenly made two leaps, one to a chair, then to the mantelshelf which he reached without a slip. Then he took up his pose beside the bust of Shakespeare, and sat blinking wisely at them. “Do look at Caliban!” cried Katy. “He certainly looks as if he knew secrets!” “Perhaps he does,” said Mary. “Maybe there is a secret about this bust. I am going to see. If you please, Master Will S.” She took down the bust and shook it gently. Nothing rattled inside. Nothing fell out. She poked with her finger as far as she could reach. There seemed to be nothing in the interior. “Try again, Mary,” begged Katy, producing something from her pocket. “Here’s my folding button-hook.” Cautiously Mary thrust the hook up into the place where the brains of William S. would have been, were they not distributed about the library instead in the form of books. Yes! There was something up in the head; something that was yielding to the touch of the steel; something that came out at last in her hand. It was a piece of soft chamois-skin, folded and tied with green silk cord like that on which hung the mysterious key. “Oh, Mary!” cried Katy, holding her breath. “What is it?” “Sh!” said Mary, with shining eyes. Cautiously she undid the little packet; and there inside was another packet, wrapped in silver foil, very tiny, very hard. Mary squeezed it gently, but the feeling gave no clue as to the contents. While Katy watched her with bulging eyes, Mary peeled off the silver paper, a bit at a time. First of all was revealed a pink bead; more pink beads; a whole necklace, strung on a pink thread, of the most beautiful coral. “Miaou!” cried Caliban suddenly. “Oh-h!” cried Katy. “I never saw anything so sweet!” “‘_Of his bones are coral made_,’” quoted Mary. “Oh, clever Aunt Nan!-- What else?” for the next quotation was running in her head, and she was very eager. With trembling fingers she unwrapped the rest of the package, and brought to light a tiny pasteboard box of not more than an inch in any dimension. “I know what it is!” whispered Katy. But she gasped when she saw what really came out--yes, a ring, on a white velvet bed. But such a ring! It had two big pearls in it, side by side, as big as the end of Mary’s little finger. “Oh!” cried Mary with delight. “What a beautiful ring! I do love pearls.--‘_Those are pearls which were his eyes_,’ Katy, do you see? And this is the ‘_something rich and strange_.’ What fun it is to find a treasure all by the aid of lovely quotations!” “I think it is wonderful!” said Katy. “It is so poetic.” “Come; let’s show these to Father and Mother,” said Mary, giving Caliban a big hug. And off the two girls ran to exhibit the treasures.