Jon looked him up and down coolly as he passed and said, "I wouldn't tell anybody if I were you, Mr. Grandon. It would be very unwise. We were all in the passage there some time tonight and have heard a lot - information of the very greatest value to us... Good night, Mr. Grandon, and thank you."

8. Wednesday: Roman's Isle

Jenny was too bewildered and frightened to know where she was. Her heart was thudding against her ribs and she realized that she was half out of bed with her head hanging over the edge. The hand that she had felt so unmistakably in her dream was still holding her shoulder, but a voice she knew and loved was saying:

"Penny! Darling, what is it? What's the matter? Why did you shout like that for Jon?"

Penny rolled over, sat up in bed and hugged her aunt.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "Did I really shout for Jon? You won't ever tell him, will you, Auntie? Promise you won't... Darling, it was terrible! I had a nightmare... I was being chased down the passage by Sl...! Well, I was being chased, anyway. You know how awful it is, don't you?"

Mrs. Warrender sat on the bed and pushed back Penny's tousled hair and looked gravely into her grey eyes.

"You've no business to be having nightmares like that, Penny. Are you sure you feel well? You look tired. Do you know the time? It's nearly nine, and I've had to wake Jon, too, for he was dead to the world... What have you two been doing?" she added suspiciously.

"Nothing, darling," Penny said quickly, clasping her knees. "At least that's not quite true. Nothing that we can tell you about now, so please don't ask me yet... You won't ask us, will you?... And I'm so sorry we're so late. I was tired yesterday, but I can't think why Jon should be!"

"Can't you?" Mrs. Warrender asked quietly. "How odd. I think I must talk to Jon again. Be as quick as you can now, because I'm keeping your breakfast hot.

Penny put her face right under cold water twice to try and wake herself properly, but she yawned several times while she was dressing and did not feel very fresh when she went down to breakfast. She did hope that Jon would be there first, because she was not looking forward to a further conversation alone with her aunt, who seemed to be getting rather suspicious. It was silly of him not to wake up at the proper time. If they went on making mistakes like this they would spoil everything!