The more they studied the map the more exciting it became, and they both began talking at once and interrupting each other until Jon pushed Penny's hand away and let the map roll up.

"Wait a bit!" he laughed. "We'll never discover anything this way. Let's empty the box first and just be certain that there's nothing else as important, then we'll put everything else back and really study the map!"

Penny agreed reluctantly, and they went back to the box.

"There's a whacking great book at the bottom here," Jon said after they had lifted out some more magazines and two smaller books about Rye. "This is what made the box so heavy," and he tipped the box on to its side so that the book fell forward. Something small also tinkled against the box and fell to the floor, and Penny groped about for a moment before she found a small key. When she got up from her knees Jon was gazing in rather a puzzled way at the big brass-bound book before him on the table.

"It's a Bible," he said. "What they call a Family Bible, I think. It's locked. Is that the key?"

Penny handed it to him.

Jon fumbled with the key and he felt the lock click back and the heavy clasp opened.

The Bible lay open before him on the table and he was staring stupidly at a large white envelope which he held in his hand.

"Look!" he whispered. "It's addressed to me! But it can't be. Do you think it's a trick?"

Penny shook her red head in bewilderment. The envelope was addressed clearly enough - "Jonathan Peter Warrender, The Gay Dolphin, Rye, Sussex."

"It must be a joke, Penny. It was in the front of the Bible... I just opened the cover and there it was staring at me."

"If you open it maybe you'll find out how it got there," said Penny, practical for once!

But Jon kept on turning it over between his fingers. "I think I ought to show it to Mother," he said. "Do you think she knew it was there? P'raps it's a joke?"

Penny hopped from one foot to the other.

"Don't be so infuriating, Jon! Open it! It's addressed to you, isn't it? It must be for you and for nobody else."

"Come on then! Let's see if we can solve the mystery. It's getting dark again in here. Come over to the window."

He pulled over a chair and Penny pushed him into it and leaned over him with her chin on his shoulder. The envelope contained many sheets of thin paper covered closely with neat writing. This is what they read together in the little hidden room under the crooked roof of the Gay Dolphin, while the rain lashed at the window-panes and the wood ashes in the old fireplace trickled through on to the stone hearth:

"The Gay Dolphin,

"Rye, Sussex. "My dear Great-Nephew Jonathan,