Chapters 7-9 Summary

Chapter 7

Ned and Terence had left Professor Peddick in the nearby village of Sonderheim before meeting with Tossie and Verity in Iffley. When they return to the river, they find that the boat is gone. They surmise that Peddick has taken it downriver to look for more historical sights. Ned, Terence, and Cyril run downriver. They see a young girl on a porch swing stroking a white cat, and Ned has to dissuade Terence from stealing the cat and using soot to blacken its fur so that it resembles Princess Arjumand.

Eventually, they catch up with Professor Peddick, who is fishing for rare specimens. They learn from him that the two women that Ned saw debarking from the train are indeed his relatives. Ned tries to use this as a reason to return to Oxford, but Peddick assures him that the...