"And what are you going to do this lovely morning, Miss Penny?" he smiled, showing his teeth under the little black moustache. "You are going out exploring?... It will be a beautiful morning, I think... You will all be better out of doors, perhaps?"

Penny shook her head as she met his eyes bravely. "You can't frighten us, Mr. Grandon, and we don't know yet what we're going to do."

"And we wouldn't tell you if we did know," Dickie added rather rudely.

Mr. Grandon laughed at this. "I will try and think of something for you all to do today... It will never do for you to get into mischief... Mrs. Warrender would not like that, I know," and before either of them could answer the door closed softly and they were alone.

Penny was still flushed and frowning when Mary said:

"What a beastly beast, Penny! I think he wants us out of the way."

"D'you think he's going to search our room - your room, I mean?" Dickie said.

"I don't know," Penny answered slowly. "He was foul, wasn't he? I felt a bit scared of him when he threatened us like that. I think he does want us out of the way so that's a very good reason for us to stay at home... Come over here, you two, and I'll tell you something.

"Before Jon went he asked me to watch Slinky, and somehow we've got to do it. He may try to get us out of the way, but we've got to be sure he doesn't go prowling about upstairs.

"The best thing to do," Penny suggested, "is for you two to hang about the hotel and keep an eye on him while I guard the room. I think I'll stretch some black cotton across the secret panel and the door, too, and then we'll know if anyone goes in while we're away."

Before they parted she rummaged about amongst the rubbish on the bench at the back of Vasson's room and found some pins and a reel of black cotton. Then they all went back into the hotel and Penny waited on the stairs while Dickie crept up the passage which led to Mr. Grandon's office.

Penny went up the narrow stairs past her own room and unlocked the big door. It swung slowly back with a slight squeak and she stepped into the room. She wondered whether the catch that worked the secret panel still worked, so, after bolting the big door behind her, she crossed the floor and put her finger into the little hole in the wainscot. She felt the catch and pressed it and the panel opened to let in a gust of cold, dank air. She shuddered and stepped into the narrow passage after making sure the panel would not swing back and imprison her.