“I suppose you know every inch of it!” said Mr Curton.

“Oh yes!” said George. “We all do. There are dungeons there, you know — real dungeons that go deep down — where we once found gold ingots.”

“Yes — I remember reading about that,” said Mr Curton. “That must have been exciting. Fancy finding the dungeons too! And there’s an old well too you once got down, isn’t there?”

“Yes,” said Anne, remembering. “And there is a cave where we once lived — it’s got an entrance through the roof, as well as from the sea.”

“And I suppose your father is conducting his marvellous experiments down in the dungeons?” said Mr Curton. “Well, what a strange place to work in!”

“No — we don’t…” began George, when she got a kick on the ankle from Dick. She screwed up her face in pain. It had been a very sharp kick indeed.

“What were you going to say?” said Mr Curton, looking surprised.

“Er — I was just going to say that — er — er — we don’t know which place Father has chosen,” said George, keeping her legs well out of the way of Dick’s feet.

Timmy gave a sudden sharp whine. George looked down at him in surprise. He was looking up at Dick, with a very hurt expression.

“What’s the matter, Timmy!” said George anxiously.

“He’s finding the room too hot, I think,” said Dick. “Better take him out, George.”

George, feeling quite anxious, took him out. Dick joined her. She scowled at him. “What did you want to kick me for like that? I shall have a frightful bruise.”

“You know jolly well why I did,” said Dick. “Giving away everything like that! Can’t you see the chap’s very interested in your father being on the island? There may be nothing in it at all, but you might at least keep your mouth shut. Just like a girl, can’t help blabbing. I had to stop you somehow. I don’t mind telling you I trod jolly hard on poor old Timmy’s tail too, to make him yelp, so that you’d stop talking!”

“Oh — you beast!” said George, indignantly. “How could you hurt Timmy?”

“I didn’t want to. It was a shame,” said Dick, stopping to fondle Timmy’s ears. “Poor old Tim. I didn’t want to hurt you, old fellow.”

“I’m going home,” said George, her face scarlet with anger. “I hate you for talking to me like that — telling me I blab like a girl — and stamping on poor Timmy’s tail. You can go back and say I’m taking Timmy home.”

“Right,” said Dick. “And a jolly good thing too. The less you talk to Mr Curton the better. I’m going back to find out exactly what he is and what he does. I’m getting jolly suspicious. You’d better go before you give anything else away!”

Almost choking with rage, George went off with Timmy. Dick went back to make her apologies. Julian and Anne, sure that something was up, felt most uncomfortable. They rose to go, but to their surprise, Dick became very talkative and appeared to be suddenly very much interested in Mr Curton and what he did.