Emily took a taxi and she and Richard sailed off together, looking excited. Peregrine and his two boys took their car. Crispin’s form at school was working on Macbeth and he asked a great many questions that Peregrine supposed were necessary and that he answered to the best of his ability. Presently Crispin said: ‘Old Perky says you ought to feel a great weight’s been shifted off your shoulders at the end. When Macduff sort of actually lifts Macbeth’s head off and young Malcolm comes in for King.’

‘I hope you’ll feel like that.’

‘Does the lights man have to allow an exact time-lag between cue and performance?’ asked Robin, who at the moment wanted to become an electrical engineer.

‘Yes.’

‘How long?’

‘I’ve forgotten. About one second, I think.’

‘Gosh!’

The foyer was crowded and the House Full notice displayed.

‘We’re in a box,’ said Peregrine. ‘Come on. Up the stairs.’

‘Super,’ said the boys. The usher at the door into the circle said, ‘Good evening, sir,’ and smiled at them. He wagged his head. Peregrine and the boys left the queue and slipped behind him into the circle.

They passed round the back of the circle into the middle box. Peregrine bought them a programme each. The programme girl smiled upon them. The house was almost full. A tall man, alone, came down the centre aisle and made for a management seat in the stalls. He looked up, saw Peregrine and waved his programme. Peregrine answered.

‘Who are you waving to, Pop?’

‘Do you see that very tall man just sitting down, in the third row?’

‘Yes. He looks super,’ said Crispin. ‘Who is he?’

‘Chief Superintendent Alleyn. CID. He was here on our opening night.’

‘Why’s he come again?’ asked Robin.

‘Presumably because he likes the play.’

‘Oh.’

‘Actually he didn’t get an uninterrupted view on the first night. There were royals. He was helping the police look after them.’

‘So he had to sit watching the audience and not the actors?’

‘Yes.’

A persistent buzzer began ringing in the foyer. Peregrine looked at his watch. ‘We’re ten minutes over time,’ he said. ‘Give them five minutes more and then the latecomers’ll have to wait until Scene 2. No, it’s OK. Here we go.’

The house lights dimmed very slowly and the audience was silent. Now it was dark. There was a flash of lightning and a distant roll of thunder and the faint sound of wind. The curtain was up and the witches at their unholy work on the gallows.