"Dickie," she said as she sat back on her heels and held out her grubby little hands to the flames, "what are we going to do now? It's dark outside and Mummy doesn't know where we are. Do you think they'll come and find us?"

"I don't know, Mary. Maybe we're prisoners again. We're always being captives or explorers. It's jolly excitin', but I don't think the others are going to be awfully pleased about us."

"We've got to go home, Dickie. Mrs. Thurston will just have to take us. We'll make her."

"What's that I've got to do?" came a voice from the door. The twins looked up to see Mrs Thurston standing there in her red frock and shoes, a cigarette as always between her fingers. Although her voice had not sounded horrid, she was not smiling when they turned round.

"Thank you very much for our nice supper," Dickie said, "and thank you for the hot drink and letting us stay here. My sister has had a nice rest, and now please we'd like to go home."

Mrs. Thurston came in and closed the door. "Now, both of you listen to me very carefully and stop talking nonsense. You cannot possibly go back to Witchend tonight. It's dark now and still foggy, and the car is out of order. You must get used to the idea of spending the night here - there's a bedroom upstairs for you. You shall go home directly after breakfast in the morning... Now, I was wondering whether you would like to tell me all about your adventures in the wood and on the mountain this afternoon? You must have had some real adventures before Jacob found you. Perhaps you saw and heard someone else besides the English officer. Did you?"

The twins looked at each other quietly. Then:

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Thurston," Mary began, "but we must be going now."

"We'll just go along by ourselves. We'll go down the lane and into the road, and we shall be all right," Dickie went on, and made a dash for the door.

Mrs. Thurston smiled as he tugged in vain at the handle.

"It's locked," he whispered. "She's locked it, Mary."

"Let us out," Mary stormed. "How dare you lock us in? I'll call for John. He'll help us... John! John! It's us here again. Come and help us!"

Mrs. Thurston flung her cigarette in the fire, jumped up from the arm of the chair on which she was sitting, and pulled Mary away from the door. Her face was white with anger. "Be quiet, you naughty, disobedient little girl. Be quiet!..."

Dickie opened his mouth to call for help, too, but the look on Mrs. Thurston's face frightened him, and before he could do more she swung him away and then held them both at arm's length.