And yet of this we had no explanation.

We had to go to bed that night with the prodigy and get up next morning with it and let it stand in our memories for weeks and months.

As will be seen, it was not until months afterwards that by another accident and in another way it was explained.

For the present I only state what happened.
When all five of us went down the kitchen stairs again, Rupert leading, the two hosts bringing up the rear, we found the door of the prison again closed.

Throwing it open we found the place again as black as pitch.