“Maybe the door’s just stuck.” Louise strode across the room to help Penny. Both of them tried without success to open it.
“Let’s shout and pound!” Louise suggested.
“No, wait! I think we’ve been locked in here on purpose.”
“Oh, Penny!”
“Now don’t get nervous. The keeper’s no fool. He’ll have to let us out.”
“But why would he lock us in?”
“Because he’s provoked at us for one reason, Lou. Another, something’s going on here that he doesn’t want us to know about. He and Mrs. Deline may be having a tête-à-tête in the room above.”
“Then let’s listen. Maybe we can overhear their conversation.”
Penny nodded and fell silent. Though the girls listened for a long while, no sound reached their ears.
“This is a nice situation!” Louise fumed. “I think the door locked itself. We ought to shout for help.”