David thought he heard something move at the window above their heads, but when he looked only the curtain was fluttering.

Peter knocked again. Macbeth growled and the door opened suddenly. Before them stood the man they had seen at Onnybrook station. He was wearing a short white coat and his long arms hung loosely at his sides as he stared silently at the children.

David shivered and was tongue-tied. Macbeth barked and struggled in his arms. Peter stood back, and Dickie, the excitable, breathed a quick "Gosh!"

"What do you want?" said the man softly.

Nobody answered.

"Why do you come knocking here and disturbing the house? Nobody is here. Go away." On the last words, his voice rose.

Peter was the first to recover.

"Good afternoon," she said politely. "We're sorry to have disturbed you, but we've come farther than we ought and we're tired and rather thirsty. Could you, please, give us a drink?"

"Who are you?" said the man. "And what are you doing here?" Then he noticed David for the first time. "You! You are the boy who hid my parcel at the station. Go away. We do not want children here," and he started to close the door.

"I want to see Mrs. Thurston," said Peter loudly; "and you've no right to speak to us like that. We only want a drink of water."

From inside the house they heard a woman's voice call sharply: "Jacob! Who is there and what do they want?"

Peter winked at David and said louder than before: "I'm sure Mrs. Thurston wouldn't turn us away without a drink. My father knew the Martins when they lived here, and I'm sure they wouldn't have minded us having some water."

The man glared, and sullenly opened the door again and said over his shoulder: "Only some children pestering for a drink. I'd have them off the place if I had my way."

"That's enough, thank you, Jacob." Then to the children: "I think I heard you mention my name. Of course you can have a drink if you're thirsty. Come in and tell me all about yourselves, who you are, where you live, and whether we're neighbours."

The twins were stimulated by the presence of strangers and responded well now that the unpleasant Jacob had disappeared.

"Good afternoon. I'm Mary Morton, and this is my brother Dickie. And that's my other brother David."

"Mary and me are twins," said Richard, "and we've come to Witchend on a great adventure while Daddy is in the R.A.F... And this is our very great friend called Peter."

Mrs. Thurston said, "I can see you're twins. I was just going to have tea, and you can join me. We'll ask Jacob to cut some more bread and butter... You mustn't mind if he's a bit grumpy, but he's not used to children."