Caroline Quine Les Sœurs Parker 05 VO Le Secret de l'hermitage 1936.doc

Carolyn Keene

LE SECRET DE L’HERMITAGE (THE SECRET OF THE HERMITAGE)

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HELLO THERE, GIRLS! EXCITEMENT AND DANGER MAKE MY CAREER AS AIR STEWARDESS THRILLING . . . AND MAKE MY BOOKS THRILLING, TOO! The VICKI BARR books Vicki Barr is the kind of girl most young girls would like to know. Charming, bright and hard working, her career as an air stewardess brings her glamorous friends, exciting adventures, loyal room-mates and dates with a handsome young pilot and an up-andcoming newspaper reporter. SILVER WINGS FOR VICKI VICKI FINDS THE ANSWER THE HIDDEN VALLEY MYSTERY THE SECRET OF MAGNOLIA MANOR THE CLUE OF THE BROKEN BLOSSOM BEHIND THE WHITE VEIL THE MYSTERY AT HARTWOOD HOUSE PERIL OVER THE AIRPORT

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AVIS IMPORTANT N’existe pas traduit en français Nous vous proposons cependant l’ouvrage en version originale

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The DANA GIRLS Mystery Stories By Carolyn Keene The adventures of resourceful Louise Dana and her irrepressible sister Jean are packed with thrills, excitement and mystery. Each girl Will love these fascinating stories which tell how the Dana girls meet and match the challenge of each strange new mystery. LOOK OUT FOR : BY THE LIGHT OF THE STUDY LAMP THE SECRET AT LONE TREE COTTAGE IN THE SHADOW OF THE TOWER A THREE-CORNERED MYSTERY THE CIRCLE OF FOOTPRINTS

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By the author of the DANA GIRLS MYSTERY STORIES Here is a thrilling new series of mystery stories for girls by Carolyn Keene — the NANCY DREW MYSTERY STORIES. Nancy Drew, ingenious, alert, is the daughter of a famous criminal lawyer and she herself is deeply interested in his mystery cases. Her interest often involves her in some very dangerous and exciting situations. LOOK OUT FOR THESE TITLES: THE CLUE IN THE DIARY NANCY'S MYSTERIOUS LETTER THE SIGN OF THE TWISTED CANDLES THE PASSWORD TO LARKSPUR LANE

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The Secret at the Hermitage

Nina Regan! I've captured you at last!" Delusional Harold Norton, ex-warden of the Pinecrest Reformatory, accuses Louise Dana of being escapee Nina Regan. Louise clears herself, only to find that Norton continues to stalk her every move. After Louise is attacked by Norton, she is lost in the woods and spends the night with a strange hermit. Upon Louise's return to Starhurst, she becomes intrigued with Nina's strange case. Nina was never proved guilty of her crime, so Louise wants to help her. The girls discover that the old hermit may know where Nina is hiding. Meanwhile, Harold Norton relentlessly hunts for Nina, endangering both Louise and the old hermit. Louise and Jean must quickly discover Nina's whereabouts and learn whether she is guilty.

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LES SŒURS PARKER ( THE DANA GIRLS )

Liste des ouvrages Leslie McFarlane (a écrit) 1. 2. 3. 4.

Les sœurs Parker trouvent une piste (By the Light of the Study Lamp, 1934) Les Sœurs Parker et les Ravisseurs (The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage, 1934) Dans l’ombre de la tour (In the Shadow of the Tower, 1934) Le Gros Lot (A Three Cornered Mystery, 1935) Mildred Wirt Benson (a écrit)

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

The Secret at the Hermitage, 1936 Sur les traces de l’homme masqué (The Circle of Footprints, 1937) Le Secret de la chamber close (The Mystery of the Locked Room, 1938) La Villa du sommeil (The Clue in the Cobweb, 1939) L’Affaire du pavillon bleu (The Secret at the Gatehouse, 1940) Les Disparus de Fort-Cherokee (The Mysterious Fireplace, 1941) L’Énigme de la clé rouillée (The Clue of the Rusty Key, 1942) Un portrait dans le sable (The Portrait in the Sand, 1943) La Menace dans le puits (The Secret in the Old Well, 1944) Le Secret du clocher (The Clue in the Ivy, 1952) L’Anneau de jade (The Secret of the Jade Ring, 1953) L’Inconnu du carrefour (Mystery at the Crossroad, 1954) Divers auteurs ??? (ont écrit)

17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34.

Le Fantôme du troisième balcon (The Ghost in the Gallery, 1955) L’Orchidée noire (The Clue of the Black Flower, 1956) Le Rubis clignotant (The Winking Ruby Mystery, 1957) Le Secret du chalet suisse (The Secret of the Swiss Chalet, 1958) Le Secret des boucaniers (The Haunted Lagoon, 1959) L’Oiseau de bambou (The Mystery of the Bamboo Bird, 1960) La Double Énigme de la Sierra (The Sierra Gold Mystery, 1961) La Sorcière du lac perdu (The Secret of the Lost Lake, 1963) Le Tigre de pierre (The Mystery of the Stone Tiger, 1963) Les Patineurs de la nuit (The Riddle of the Frozen Fountain, 1964) Le Dauphin d’argent (The Secret of the Silver Dolphin, 1965) L’Impératrice de cire (Mystery of the Wax Queen, 1966) La Guitare ensorcelée (The Secret of the Minstrel’s Guitar, 1967) Le Beau Garçon du Pacifique (The Phantom Surfer, 1968) The Curious Coronation, 1976 L'héritage des Vikings (jamais publié) (The Hundred-Year Mystery, 1977) Le Volcan endormi (Mountain-Peak Mystery, 1978) The Witch’s Omen, 1979

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LES SŒURS PARKER ( THE DANA GIRLS )

Liste des ouvrages 1. Les Sœurs Parker trouvent une piste (By the Light of the Study Lamp, 1934) 2. Les Sœurs Parker et les Ravisseurs (The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage, 1934) 3. Dans l’ombre de la tour (In the Shadow of the Tower, 1934) 4. Le Gros Lot (A Three Cornered Mystery, 1935) 5. The Secret at the Hermitage, 1936 6. Sur les traces de l’homme masqué (The Circle of Footprints, 1937) 7. Le Secret de la chamber close (The Mystery of the Locked Room, 1938) 8. La Villa du sommeil (The Clue in the Cobweb, 1939) 9. L’Affaire du pavillon bleu (The Secret at the Gatehouse, 1940) 10. Les Disparus de Fort-Cherokee (The Mysterious Fireplace, 1941) 11. L’Énigme de la clé rouillée (The Clue of the Rusty Key, 1942) 12. Un portrait dans le sable (The Portrait in the Sand, 1943) 13. La Menace dans le puits (The Secret in the Old Well, 1944) 14. Le Secret du clocher (The Clue in the Ivy, 1952) 15. L’Anneau de jade (The Secret of the Jade Ring, 1953) 16. L’Inconnu du carrefour (Mystery at the Crossroad, 1954) 17. Le Fantôme du troisième balcon (The Ghost in the Gallery, 1955) 18. L’Orchidée noire (The Clue of the Black Flower, 1956) 19. Le Rubis clignotant (The Winking Ruby Mystery, 1957) 20. Le Secret du chalet suisse (The Secret of the Swiss Chalet, 1958) 21. Le Secret des boucaniers (The Haunted Lagoon, 1959) 22. L’Oiseau de bambou (The Mystery of the Bamboo Bird, 1960) 23. La Double Énigme de la Sierra (The Sierra Gold Mystery, 1961) 24. La Sorcière du lac perdu (The Secret of the Lost Lake, 1963) 25. Le Tigre de pierre (The Mystery of the Stone Tiger, 1963) 26. Les Patineurs de la nuit (The Riddle of the Frozen Fountain, 1964) 27. Le Dauphin d’argent (The Secret of the Silver Dolphin, 1965) 28. L’Impératrice de cire (Mystery of the Wax Queen, 1966) 29. La Guitare ensorcelée (The Secret of the Minstrel’s Guitar, 1967) 30. Le Beau Garçon du Pacifique (The Phantom Surfer, 1968) 31. The Curious Coronation, 1976 32. L'héritage des Vikings (jamais publié) (The Hundred-Year Mystery, 1977) 33. Le Volcan endormi (Mountain-Peak Mystery, 1978) 34. The Witch’s Omen, 1979

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"Louise!" cried Jean. " Come here and see what I've found!" 12

The Dana Girls Mystery Stones

The Secret at the Hermitage by CAROLYN KEENE

SAMPSON LOW LONDON

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© 1936 BY GROSSET & DUNLAP INC THIS EDITION PUBLISHED PURSUANT TO AGREEMENT WITH GROSSET & DUNLAP INC., NEW YORK, N.Y., U.S.A. BRITISH EDITION MADE AND PRINTED IN GKEAT BRITAIN BY PURNELL & SONS, LTD., PAULTON (SOM) AND 10NDON, 1961

This book may only be exported for sale in the following territories by the appointed sole agents: AUSTRALIA — Ponsford, Newman & Benson, Ltd. NEW ZEALAND —Whitcombe & Tombs, Ltd. AFRICA—Purnell & Sons (S.A.) (Pty.) Ltd.

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CONTENTS

I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV. XXV.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY A SIGNIFICANT INITIAL LETTIE'S TRICKERY A SERIOUS OFFENCE STRANDED AT THE HERMITAGE SAFE AT SCHOOL AN INTERCEPTED NOTE A CLUE THE CARNIVAL MAN A DARING ACT THE FAKE DIAMOND A NEW DISCOVERY THE MASQUERADER SERIOUS TROUBLE THE LANDSLIDE RELEASE A LAST MESSAGE BAD NEWS THE MYSTERIOUS MRS. X.Y.Z. AT CROW'S POINT A DESERTED HOUSE ABSOLVED A CRISIS NINA'S HAVEN

16 24 30 39 47 53 62 70 77 85 90 95 105 110 115 122 129 135 143 150 158 164 171 181 187

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CHAPTER I MISTAKEN IDENTITY

"Look at this, Louise." Jean Dana, blonde, and inclined to be boyish, was sprawled upon the cushions of the window seat, reading the headlines of a newspaper spread out before her. "Better put away that paper and do a little work on your French," advised Louise, her pretty, dark-haired sister. "I suppose you're trying to improve your mind with the comic sheet!" The two girls were students at Starhurst School in Penfield. Classes were over for this afternoon, and the sisters were in their own study. Jean at the moment was preferring the newspaper to a textbook. It was a mystery to Louise how her sister stood so high in her classes for she spent as little time as possible with her assignments. "Oh, we've both done enough studying for one day," Jean insisted carelessly. "Do come and read this item. Harold Norton has broken into print again." "What has he done this time?" Louise crossed the comfortable studio room to peer over her sister's shoulder. The man was known to her only by hearsay. She vaguely recalled that a year or two before he had lost his

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position as warden of Pinecrest Reformatory through some scandal which had swept the state. "Norton says in this interview that he never received an honest deal," Jean declared. "He announces he's not going to rest until he gets his old job back." "He may be pretty tired before he's through, then," Louise commented dryly. "If what folks said was true he never gave the prison inmates half enough to eat." "That's the trouble with this place," a gay voice cut in. "They don't give us enough to eat." The Dana girls turned to see Evelyn Starr standing in the doorway. Without waiting for an invitation, she selected a cushion and established herself in the other corner of the window seat. "If you're hungry, have a cookie," Jean invited, jumping up to get a box from the table. "Aunt Harriet sent them today and they're delicious." "I'm always hungry," Evelyn admitted, greedily selecting the largest piece of pastry. She was an attractive girl, a staunch friend of both Jean and Louise. In turn they admired her for the courageous way in which she had accepted misfortune. Years before, the fine mansion which housed Penfield's exclusive school for girls had been her own luxurious home. Through various causes the Starrs had lost their money. One piece of property after another had been sacrificed. When Evelyn's fortunes were at their lowest ebb, Jean and Louise had been helpful. Through their clever efforts the girl had recovered a valuable cache of jewels. She had not forgotten the kindness.

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"I really shouldn't stay," Evelyn announced when she had finished her cookie. "I have lots of work to do. What time is it?" Louise looked at her wrist watch and noticed that it had stopped running. She took it off and tried to wind it. The stem turned freely without tightening the spring. "It seems to be broken," she said in alarm. "Oh, dear, Uncle Ned gave me that watch for my birthday." "Let me see it," Jean requested. "Probably the spring is broken." "That's what happened to my watch once," Evelyn contributed. "It doesn't cost much to get it fixed." "I don't know what I'll do without a timepiece," Louise complained. "I sleep and eat by that watch." "Why not take it to town this afternoon and have it repaired?" suggested Jean, always eager for ^ an outing. "Mr. Growler, who runs that interesting little shop down town, could do it for you." "I'd like to go along," Evelyn added. "I need a new fountain pen. Besides, Mr. Growler's shop is exciting. He has everything imaginable stuffed away on his dusty shelves." "I like to hear the man talk," Jean confessed, twisting her features to resemble those