Abandoning all hope of getting away without risking being torn to pieces, she decided her wisest course would be to keep hidden until Father Benedict had driven away.
“Maybe by staying, I can help Rhoda,” she reflected. “Father Benedict intends to force her to tell where the sapphire is hidden!”
With noiseless tread she started toward the chapel bedroom which adjoined the church ruins. In passing the monk’s study she noticed that the door stood slightly ajar.
Peering cautiously in, she saw that the room was in disarray. All of Father Benedict’s clothing, art treasures, and personal belongings had been removed. Drawers of the desk had been emptied of their contents.
In the fireplace, flames leaped merrily. Plainly, the monk had disposed of many papers by consigning them to the fire.
At the edge of the hearth lay several sheets torn from a notebook. One of the pages had caught fire and was burning slowly.
Recognizing it as a sheet listing society contributions, Penny darted forward and stamped out the flames.
Only half of the paper had been charred. Many of the names still could be read. Folding the good section, she placed it in her coat pocket.
Two other pages which had not caught fire proved to be blank.
Unable to rescue anything else from the flames, Penny quitted the study and moved hurriedly toward the chapel bedroom.