They all looked into the cage, apparently in the vain hope that Dark Queen might possibly be there after all. Miss Harmer gave a squeal.
"What's the matter?" said Lady Candling. Miss Harmer pointed to the floor of the cage.
"What's that?" she said. They all looked in.
"Ho!" said Tupping in a ferocious voice. "That's one of them whistles Luke is always making, that is! I'd just like to know how that got there!"
Miss Harmer took the key of the cat-cage and opened the door. Tupping picked up the whistle. He showed it to Lady Candling.
"Is this one of the whistles you make, Luke?" asked Lady Candling.
Luke nodded. He looked very pale. He could not understand how Dark Queen could have gone again, nor how his whistle could have been found in the cage.
"Luke has been making whistles for all of us," said Fatty. He pulled his own out from his pocket "I expect it's one of our whistles, Lady Candling."
"But how could it have got into the cage?" said Lady Candling, puzzled.
"Your ladyship, it's quite plain," said Tupping. "That boy went in to take the cat, like he did before — and he dropped this whistle by accident and never saw it. He went out of the cage, locked it, put the key back in its place, and went off with Dark Queen."