Over Sea, Under Stone, Chapter 4

Chapter 4: In which Jane does her own investigating. In a completely unrelated state of affairs, no content notes for this chapter.

It's a new day, and the boys are off to their yachting expedition.  Before they go, Simon gives Jane the manuscript for safe-keeping. She once again points out a problem (handling the scroll damages it, so they need a safer place for it that Simon's socks), and for once, Simon is useful. He remembers the telescope case they found, and it fits the bill perfectly.

Left to her own devices, Jane promptly and literally stumbles over a useful clue: a local guidebook containing a map.  Using her powerful observation skills and not inconsiderable deductive power, she determines that the faint sketch on the manuscript is a map of Trewissick (even matching "King Mark's Head" to the headland's modern name: "Kemare Head"), and that the coastline has changed since the map was made.  Applying her earlier idea of seeking adult help, she decides to consult with the guidebook's author, who is apparently the local vicar.

Leaving Mrs. Palk under the impression that she's visiting the church (which she expects to do, despite it not being her main purpose) Jane makes her way to the vicarage.  It's in bad repair; the author of the book is apparently dead, but his successor, one Mr. Hastings, offers to help. He asks Jane about the coastline penciled in the guidebook*; she avoids mentioning the scroll, claiming to have found the other coastline or "something like it somewhere, in a book, or something." At this point, Mr. Hastings starts echoing the Witherses with questions about books and maps in the Grey House; he also has a rather strong interest in his predecessor's guidebook.  Jane deflects the inquiries, saying that they don't touch the house's books, and referring him to Captain Toms. Apparently, the two men aren't on close terms.  When Jane asks about the coastline possibly changing, Mr. Hastings discounts it.  He maintains that the local rock is granite and should change only very gradually.

To further cement Mr. Hastings' similarity to Mr. Withers, when Jane gets up to leave:

"He inclined his head gravely as he shook Jane's had, with a strange, archaic gesture that reminded her suddenly of Mr. Withers, when he left the Grey House.  But this, she thought, seemed more genuine, as if it were something which Mr. Withers had been trying to imitate."   

With that, she races back to the Grey House, and the chapter ends.  I expect next chapter we'll find out how the boys fared on the yacht, and they'll be hostile and/or unsupportive of her independent research.  I'm also torn between the vicar being on the side of the yacht-ers, and them being two competing sets of baddies.

New Characters:
Mr. Hawes-Mellor: Late vicar of Trewissick, wrote a now-hard-to-find book on the area.
Mr. Hastings: Current vicar of Trewissick, a suspicious character who doesn't maintain his house.

*Still Team Jane, but -5 points for writing in someone else's books.  At least it was pencil.