From the window that looked out on to the back garden she saw the other two spies still hiding there, and a third spy hiding a little farther away from them. Her eyes wandered round the garden, then all at once she gave a gasp as she caught sight of something that made her heart seem to stop beating for a moment, then start to hammer madly at her side.
It was a large Black Leaf, growing in the garden bed, just behind where the two spies were hiding; so that from the lower windows they had hidden it completely from her eyes.
Molly could scarcely believe it for a moment, and looked again to make sure. Yes; it was the Black Leaf at last!
Now she understood the presence of the spies here, and their anxiety to keep her away from the garden, which contained the Leaf they dared not touch. And now she understood the reason why the Pumpkin had made Miss Lydia blind.
What a wonder the Pumpkin was not somewhere near to guard the Leaf, she thought. And even as she thought this, she saw the Pumpkin. He came rolling slowly along the garden path toward the back door.
“Oh, however am I to get the Leaf with the Pumpkin and all his spies around?” thought Molly.
Then she heard Miss Lydia’s voice calling up the stairs: “Come quickly! Hush! I can hear that rolling sound again, out in the garden.”
Molly ran downstairs.
“Oh, Miss Lydia, Miss Lydia!” she whispered, excitedly. “Do you know why they’re all round this house?—the spies, and the Pumpkin himself—yes, it is he—oh, hush, Miss Lydia! Do you know the reason? The Black Leaf is growing in your garden! I can see it from your studio window.”
Half crying, half laughing, Molly explained rapidly; while Miss Lydia wrung her hands together and listened intently.