"We're opening today," he said. "I hope you'll come while we're at home."

Miss Ballinger nodded. "I'll ring up your mother some time or come over and see her. I'm fascinated by old places and old things. I collect old maps and papers, and my house in London is full of them. You must both come and see them one day... And that reminds me that you can do something for me before you go back to school."

"Of course we will, Miss Ballinger," Penny said sweetly. "We'll do anything we can, won't we, Jon?"

Miss Ballinger had her back to them as she spoke and was standing by the window, but she turned at Penny's remark and her glasses flashed so that they could not see the expression in her eyes.

"I'll tell you what you can do for me, then," she said. "Just now I'm making a collection of old letters, books, documents and maps - I'm particularly interested in maps - dealing with this district. I get all my stories of the Marsh and smugglers from papers I have already collected, and I'd like you to help me to find some more."

"I don't quite see how we could help you do that," Jon said. "Of course, we would if we could, but we're not likely to find any old papers or maps."

"I thought you might look round for me... I'd pay well for anything you found like that. A little ready cash is always useful at school, I've been told, and if you like I'd be glad to pass over a few pounds now for you to go shopping for me."

"Oh, Miss Ballinger!" Penny exclaimed as she nudged Jon so violently that he staggered. "We couldn't possibly do that!"

"Well just remember I'm interested if you find any such documents whenever and wherever you may come across them. I'm a very keen collector, and collectors, you know, will give almost anything to get what they want."

Although the last words were spoken with a smile as she turned again to look at them both, Penny sensed a warning or a threat behind them, and when Miss Ballinger spoke again, quite softly, she moved instinctively a little nearer to Jon.

"And that reminds me," their hostess was saying. "Didn't you tell me on the train that your mother was keeping some old papers for you to see? Are you sure you haven't anything which you could sell me, Jonathan? Perhaps some of those old documents which are quite worthless to you would be just what I'm looking for. If I come over one day soon perhaps I could look through them?"

"What papers do you mean, Miss Ballinger?" Jon answered innocently. "I didn't say we'd looked at those old things yet, did I?"

"Didn't you? How very odd. I wonder what made me think you had. How very extraordinary... Have you looked at them yet?"