“When are the Secret Seven going to have their next meeting?” said Susie to her brother Jack.

“That’s nothing to do with you!” said Jack. “You don’t belong to it, and what’s more, you never will!”

“Good gracious! I don’t want to belong to it!” said Susie, putting on a very surprised voice. “If I want to belong to a secret society I can always get one of my own. I did once before, and it was a better one than yours.”

“Don’t be silly,” said Jack. “Our Secret Seven is the best in the world—why, just think of the things we’ve done and the adventures we’ve had! I bet we’ll have another one soon.”

“I bet you won’t,” said Susie, annoyingly. “You’ve been meeting in that shed at the bottom of Peter and Janet’s garden for weeks now—and there isn’t even the smell of a mystery!”

“Well, mysteries don’t grow on trees, nor do adventures,” said Jack. “They just happen all in a minute. Anyway, I’m not going to talk about the Secret Seven any more, and you needn’t think you’ll get anything out of me, because you won’t, Susie. And please go out of my room and let me get on with this book.”