“Do you think he fastened it on purpose?”
“He may have,” Penny said slowly. “Perhaps he didn’t want us to wander about the monastery while he was gone.”
“What if he doesn’t come back?”
“He will, my pet. Now do stop worrying! The smart thing for us to do, is to learn what we can while we’re here.”
“A lot we can learn locked up in this stuffy room!”
Without replying, Penny wandered about the room, scrutinizing art objects and each piece of furniture.
“For a man who professes to live a life of poverty, Father Benedict shows quite a liking for luxury items,” she remarked.
Coming to a battered desk cluttered with papers, she paused and eyed it thoughtfully.
“Penny, we wouldn’t dare pry!” exclaimed Louise, guessing what was in her chum’s mind.
“I suppose not,” sighed Penny, “only I’m sure Mr. Ayling would do it if he were here. Those papers in the pigeon holes look as though they’re unpaid bills—a whole stack of them too!”