‘Perhaps it was Mrs Groves?’ said Marlene.

Sybil shook her head. ‘It wouldn’t be Mrs Groves. It gave her quite a turn.’

‘I’ll come down and see for myself,’ said Elspeth.

‘She’s not there now,’ said Sybil. ‘Miss Coombe took her away from the desk and threw her back on the sofa. Well—’ she paused—‘what I mean is, someone must have stuck her up there in the chair at the writing-desk—thinking it was funny. I suppose. And—and I don’t see why they won’t say so.’

‘I’ve told you twice, Mrs Fox,’ said Margaret. ‘I don’t see why you should go on accusing us of telling lies. None of us would do a silly thing like that.’

‘I’m sorry,’ said Sybil, ‘I didn’t mean to upset you. But—but who else could possibly have done it?’

‘Perhaps she got up and walked there herself,’ said Marlene, and giggled.

For some reason Sybil didn’t like the suggestion.

‘Oh, it’s all a lot of nonsense, anyway,’ she said, and went down the stairs again.

Alicia Coombe was humming quite cheerfully. She looked round the room.

‘I’ve lost my spectacles again,’ she said, ‘but it doesn’t really matter. I don’t want to see anything this moment. The trouble is, of course, when you’re as blind as I am, that when you have lost your spectacles, unless you’ve got another pair to put on and find them with, well, then you can’t find them because you can’t see to find them.’

‘I’ll look round for you,’ said Sybil. ‘You had them just now.’

‘I went into the other room when you went upstairs. I expect I took them back in there.’

She went across to the other room.

‘It’s such a bother,’ said Alicia Coombe. ‘I want to get on with these accounts. How can I if I haven’t my spectacles?’

‘I’ll go up and get your second pair from the bedroom,’ said Sybil.

‘I haven’t got a second pair at present,’ said Alicia Coombe.

‘Why, what’s happened to them?’

‘Well, I think I left them yesterday when I was out at lunch. I’ve rung up there, and I’ve rung up the two shops I went into, too.’

‘Oh, dear,’ said Sybil, ‘you’ll have to get three pairs, I suppose.’

‘If I had three pairs of spectacles,’ said Alicia Coombe, ‘I should spend my whole life looking for one or the other of them. I really think it’s best to have only one. Then you’ve got to look till you find it.’

‘Well, they must be somewhere,’ said Sybil. ‘You haven’t been out of these two rooms. They’re certainly not here, so you must have laid them down in the fitting-room.’

She went back, walking round, looking quite closely. Finally, as a last idea, she took up the doll from the sofa.

‘I’ve got them,’ she called.

‘Oh, where were they, Sybil?’

‘Under our precious doll. I suppose you must have thrown them down when you put her back on the sofa.’

‘I didn’t. I’m sure I didn’t.’