We’ll do my hair, because I do feel that is important. You know, Mrs Justice is having her cocktail party on Saturday, and I don’t like to leave trying a new thing like the Sungleam to the last minute in case it didn’t turn out all right, so we’ll get on with it now. We’ll just have an omelette for lunch, and some of that last cake you made. It is a particularly good one, and there isn’t really enough of it to come in for tea. So hurry, darling, hurry, and you’ll see it will all fit in beautifully.’

The Sungleam proved very successful. It was while she was setting the abundant fair hair that Althea said,

‘What did you say to Mr Martin to make him think that we should be willing to sell the house?’

Mrs Graham said in an absent-minded voice,

‘Mr Martin… Oh, dear I don’t think that curler is right. You’ll have to take it out again.’

Althea undid the curler and repeated Mr Martin’s name.

‘He admired the begonias – over the hedge – and you seem to have given him the idea that we should be willing to sell.’

Mrs Graham picked up the hand-mirror and twisted round to see the curls at the back of her head.

‘Well,’ she said, ‘I’ve sometimes thought – houses have been fetching such very good prices…’

‘We should have to buy another, and that would fetch a good price too.’

‘Oh, there wouldn’t be any need to settle down again at once. I have wondered about a cruise. I believe one meets the most charming people. The Harrisons went last year, and they enjoyed it so much. They missed all the cold weather and came home again in the spring. It sounded delightful.’

‘The Harrisons could afford it. I don’t see how we could.’

‘Oh, it would have to come out of the money we got for the house.’

‘And what do we live on when we have spent our capital?’

‘But, darling, what else is there to live on? It’s the only possible way. The Harrisons have been doing it for years – she told me so herself.