He went to talk to Jenny. “Jenny — Dad says that the thief only took some of his papers — and that he can’t make much use of the ones he took, unless he has the whole lot. And Dad says he thinks that when the thief finds this out, he’ll try to steal the rest of the papers.”

“Well, let him try!” said Jenny. “I could hide them in a place where no thief would find them — if your Dad would let me have them. I shan’t tell you where!”

“I’m afraid he might hide them up a chimney again, or some silly place like that,” said Tinker, looking so worried that Jenny felt really worried too! “They’ve got to be hidden somewhere NOBODY would think of looking. And if Dad finds a place like that he’ll promptly forget all about it, and never be able to find them again! But a thief might find them — he’d know ALL the places to look in.”

’Let’s go up to the tower room, and clear up the mess that the spilt ink made, and see if your father has taken his precious papers, and hidden them somewhere there,’ said Jenny. “It would be just like him to hide them in the very room that the thief went to last night! Up the ladder, in at the window — left wide open, I’ve no doubt — snatched up every paper he could see, the rogue, and then raced down the ladder again!”

“Come on up to the tower, then,” said Tinker. “I only hope Dad isn’t there!”

“He’s just crossing the courtyard, look,” said Jenny, leaning out of the window. “See, there he is — carrying something under his arm.”

“His morning newspapers,” said Tinker. “It looks as if he’s going to have a jolly good read, doesn’t it? Oh dear, I do hope all this won’t be printed in the newspapers — it would bring hordes of people down here again. Do you remember how awful it was last time, Jenny — people even walked over the flower-beds!”

“Hoo — some people like to poke their noses into everything!” said Jenny. “I don’t mind telling you that I emptied my dirty washing-water out of the window on to a few of them — quite by mistake, of course — how was I to know they were out there, staring up and down?”

Tinker gave a shout of laughter. “I wish I’d seen that!” he said. “Oh Jenny — if people come poking their noses into Dad’s business again, DO let’s empty water on their silly heads! Come on, Jenny — let’s go up to the tower room now Dad’s out of the way. Quick!”

They were soon out in the courtyard, and as they crossed it, Jenny stopped and looked hard at the ground.

“What are you looking for?” asked Tinker.

“Just to see if there are any marks that might have been made by someone dragging a ladder across,” said Jenny. “I heard a funny slithering sound, you know — but it didn’t sound like a ladder being dragged across.”