“You stay here, and I’ll slip up and see if I can hear anything,” said Jack. The others stayed as still as mice. Jack went quietly up the steps. He swung the door a little farther open and listened.
He could hear nothing. He peeped through the door. A large stone-floored scullery lay beyond the door. Nobody seemed about at all. Jack tried to remember where the tower would be. Of course! It would be quite near the scullery - maybe a door would lead from the scullery into the tower, so that servants could take the meals there when necessary.
Jack slipped through the door and took a quick look round. Yes - there was a little stout door at the end of the big scullery, just like the door through which the children had gone into the tower! It must lead there.
Now that he had gone so far Jack felt as if he must go farther! He tiptoed through the scullery, and tried the little tower door. It opened! He slipped through and ran up the winding stairs of the tower. He went right to the top - and when he got there he stopped in amazement.
He could hear somebody crying inside the top room of the tower. It sounded like a child. Jack tried the door - but alas, that was locked! He knocked softly.
The person inside stopped crying at once. “Who is it?” said a voice.
But just as Jack was going to answer, he heard the sound of voices. Someone was coming up the tower stairs! What was Jack to do? He couldn’t hide in the room at the top! But perhaps there was time to hide in the room below - if only they didn’t come there!
He slipped quickly down the stairs and into the room below, which was roughly furnished with a rug and a chair and table, Jack hid behind the door.
The voices came nearer as the people came up the winding staircase. Jack trembled with excitement behind the door.
The footsteps stopped outside the room where Jack was hiding. “I’ll just see if I left my papers in here,” said the voice of sleepy-eyed Luiz. The door was pushed open a little farther, and Luiz looked in!