"You look like that advertisement for chocolate," Jon said rudely as he pushed up the lid of the box. "Come and help me."

"I've got it," Penny cried exultantly,, "It's a woman that's been here. I can smell scent. It's very faint, but I'm sure I'm right. Can't you smell it, too, Jon? Do try?"

He snorted and sniffed. "No," he said. "I'm sorry, but I can only smell dust!"

Suddenly she rushed across to him. "I've got it," she shouted. "It's not a woman. It's him. It's Slinky! He's been up here while we've been at church. I knew he would as soon as we were out of the way. I'm positive I'm right. The smell is the beastly stuff he puts on his black, greasy hair."

"But how could he get in?" Jon said. "Even if you're right, how could he get through the door? I locked it and took the key to church with me and it's never been out of my pocket."

"He's got another key, of course," Penny said triumphantly. "He must have."

Jon looked worried. "I must ask Mother if she knows of another key. I believe she told us there was only one... Now, let's turn this box out once more and then we must rush down to lunch."

They took everything out of the deed box, but there was no sign of the parchment.

"It's gone, I'm afraid," Jon said despondently. "I suppose I must have dropped it. I know I had it in my bedroom this morning, and I know I had it when we came up here after breakfast."

"That's it," Penny agreed. "You've dropped it and Slinky was watching to see us go out and then he came up here and unlocked the door with his key and now he's got the clue... But I tell you one thing, Jon. He doesn't know as much scripture as we do, and maybe he will never find 'earthen vessels'."

"Well, if he's got it we've not so much start as I thought. We shall have to buck up and solve the riddle. I think we'd better come up here again after lunch and go through these other papers... Come on."

"How are you getting on upstairs?" Mrs. Warrender asked at lunch. "Have you found anything interesting yet?"

"Yes, we have," Jon said. "But you don't mind us keeping it a secret for a while, do you? Did you by any chance go up to our room while we were getting ready for church? You know - between when you called us and the time we were ready?"

"Of course I didn't," Mrs. Warrender replied. "I told you I wasn't coming up without an invitation, and I only came then because it was getting late and I didn't want to send Mr. Grandon or Fred or one of the maids."

Jon asked whether she knew if there might be a duplicate key to the little door somewhere.