They came to an open doorway, with a lamp burning above it. Dark wavering shadows played within, across the threshold; but the old man stepped through these boldly, and pushed open the door of a lighted room. The children followed, and stood for a moment blinking. The room was lined with books--shelves upon shelves of books; and among their books a dozen men sat reading in total silence. Some held thin, unbound pages of enormous size--Arthur Miles was unacquainted with newspapers--open before them; all were of middle age or over; and none of them showed surprise at the new-comers. The old chemist nodded to one or two, who barely returned his nod and forthwith resumed their studies. He walked straight across the room--this was wonderful too, that he should know, among so many books, exactly where to search--adjusted his spectacles, stooped with palms on knees, peered for ten seconds or so along the backs of a row of tall volumes, drew forth one, and bearing it to the table, laid it open under the lamplight. "Let me see--let me see," he muttered, turning the pages rapidly. "H--H.O.--here we are! Hockley--Hoe--no." He turned another three or four pages. "Holbeach--Hollington--Hollingwood--Holme--ah, here we have it!--Holmfirth, Holme Fell, Holme Moss, HOLMNESS." He paused for a moment, scanning the page while they held their breath. Then he read aloud, yet not so as to disturb the other students-- "'_Holmness_. An Island or Islet in the Bristol Channel--'" "Ah!" The boy let his breath escape almost in a sob. "'Uninhabited--'" The old chemist looked up over the rims of his spectacles; but whether questioning or because the sound had interrupted him, Tilda could not determine. "Yes," said the boy eagerly. "They thought that about--about the other Island, sir. Didn't they?" The old man, either not hearing or not understanding, looked down at the page again. He read out the latitude and longitude--words and figures which neither of the children understood. "'Extreme length, three-quarters of a mile; width at narrowest point, 165 yards. It contains 356 acres, all of short grass, and affords pasturage in summer for a few sheep from the mainland. There is no harbour; but the south side affords fair anchorage for vessels sheltering from N.W. winds. The distance from nearest point of coast is three and three-quarter miles. Reputed to have served anciently as _rendezvous_ for British pirates, and even in the last century as a smugglers' _entrepot_. Geological formation--'" "Is that all?" asked Tilda as the old man ceased his reading. "That is all." "But the river will take us to it," said the boy confidently. "Hey? What river?" "Why _this_ river--the Avon. It leads down to it--of course it must!"