7. Tuesday Night: Trader's Passage

It was Miss Ballinger's face," Jon repeated in a whisper. "A face without a body... but, of course, that's nonsense. It couldn't be!"

"It looked like that," Penny said with a shudder, and then David, on the little landing behind her, broke in sharply:

"What are you two burbling about? Do get out of the way and let us in. Isn't there a light somewhere?"

And from behind him came further plaintive comment. "It's pitchy dark and it's jolly cold and we can't see a thing because of you big ones... Are you frightened of the dark, Jon?"

At that Jon stepped forward, still with the torch shining on the wall, and picked up the matches from the ledge by the fireplace.

"Sorry!" he said. "Come in quickly. Take the torch now, will you, David, and bolt the door on the inside... I'll soon have the lamp alight... Penny! There ought to be some dry wood down there. Try and get a fire going, I'm cold and we might as well be comfortable if we're going to talk."

"You're going to tell us your secret, aren't you?" Mary began, and Dickie said, "This place is fun. Does it belong just to you two?"

Jon nodded, but before he could answer David interrupted again, and Penny could not help thinking that he did certainly know how to manage things!

"I don't think the kids saw it," he said. "But I did. Don't worry, Penny! I'm sure it was real." He turned to the twins. "Did either of you two see a woman's face with big glasses up against the wall here when Jon shone his torch through the door?"

Dickie and Mary glanced meaningly at each other.

"I've explained once," the former began patiently, "that we couldn't see a thing 'cos it was dark..."

"And you great lumps were standing right in the way," Mary continued.

"And how could there be a woman's face there, anyway? Do talk sense, David. There aren't any pictures or a mirror. I s'pose you were just dreaming as usual."

"But Penny looks as if she saw something horrid, twin," Mary said quietly. "Was there a face, Penny? We'll believe you - even if it's magic."

Penny, who had now got the fire alight, got up from her knees and faced the boys. She felt better now.

"Yes," she said. "It was Miss Ballinger's face. The woman artist you baited at Camber today. I saw it. Jon saw it and David saw it and if you'd been big enough you'd have seen it too."

"Nowhere she could have hidden, here in the room, is there?" David asked.

"See for yourself," Penny replied. "There's nothing here except our precious tin box and table and chairs."

"Well, I think there's a secret passage behind the fireplace and that rude old Miss What's-her-name heard us coming and was just skipping off when Jon opened the door," Mary announced.