By BRENDAN WILMOT

An explosive secret lies interred in Deerfield Academy. It is protected by a network of unlikely faculty members, safeguarded with state-of-the-art security systems and coveted by thieves the world over. The Charles P. Russell Art Collection is such a well-kept secret that most of Deerfield's students know nothing of it.

The Keepers of the Vault consist of both some of the most prominent faculty members and some of the most improbable. All are qualified for the job, having undergone extensive training in such fields as self-defense, safecracking, getaway driving, and (of course) art curation. We reveal two of their names with only the utmost secrecy and ask you to keep them to yourself after burning this article to prevent further dissemination.

The Curator of the Vault is Lydia Hemphill, while her Sentinel is former curator Robert Moorhead. They represent a sweeping organization charged with the safety of the Russell Art Collection. Their job is by no means easy.

The collection has been successfully raided once, back in the early 1970's. After scouting the scene during the day, a gang of high-tech thieves used glass-cutters to break into the library via the glass doors and steal five of the priceless paintings off the wall. Through the efforts of the Keepers of the Vault and the FBI, the paintings were eventually recovered. They were sitting in a Penn Station locker stuffed into a suitcase marked Property of Deerfield Academy. McShane, the name of the FBI agent who discovered the paintings, is still scrawled on the back of each as a testament to their colorful history. Without the devotion of the Keepers to their sacred oath to forever guard the secret art, the Russell Gallery might still be missing these paintings today. The paintings have been put under stricter security since the burglary. They were first moved to the vault, a giant safe that used to sit where the AV rooms now are. The vault was destroyed because of a structural weakness it had in its back wall. It sat back-to-back to a boys' bathroom with only a plaster wall dividing them. The collection has been split into two groups and is hidden in a pair of undisclosed locations. It is now watched over by security systems that wouldn't be out of place in Mission Impossible, complete with high-sensitivity motion detectors that have even been falsely triggered by insects entering through the ventilation system.

The Russell Collection is estimated to be worth over four million dollars. Its precious art has been loaned out to such institutions as the Smithsonian Institute, the University of Chicago, Williams College and the Louvre. The painting that was lent to France, "La Toilette" by Jean François Millet, was deemed priceless, as its price at auction could soar to inestimable heights. However, neither the collection nor any part of it will be sold, as Deerfield agreed when receiving the gift from Lucius Potter and Lucia Russell on behalf of their father, Charles P. Russell, in the 1950s.

The collection was compiled over the course of about three decades by Vose Galleries under the direction of the sisters. It consists of an eclectic assortment of European art - most of which is authentic - and an American study collection - all of which is genuine. A study collection is comprised of a few pieces of art from each artistic era in a set time period; Deerfield's American study collection spans from the late 1600s to the early 1900s. Altogether, the Russell Collection totals 85 pieces and includes works by such artists as Hassam, Corot, Diaz, Millet, Courbet, Pine, Copley, Inness and Homer.

The cost of the collection's curation is paid for by the interest generated from a fund donated by the Russell family, which was also used to build the Russell Gallery, where the collection is periodically displayed. No paintings have been hung recently due to both the transition in curatorship from Mr. Moorhead to Mrs. Hemphill and in an effort to maintain - what else? secrecy.

So now you know the secret of the Charles P. Russell Collection. Now you are part of the Keepers of the Vault. Keep quiet, and do your part to protect Deerfield's greatest secret.