So while Digory was staring out of the dining.room window， Polly was lying in bed， and both were thinking how terribly slowly the time could go. I think， myself， I would rather have been in Polly’s position. She had only to wait for the end of her two hours： but every few minutes Digory would hear a cab or a baker‘s van or a butcher’s boy coming round the corner and think “Here she comes”， and then find it wasn‘t. And in between these false alarms， for what seemed hours and hours， the clock ticked on and one big fly.high up and far out of reach.buzzed against the window. It was one of those houses that get very quiet and dull in the afternoon and always seem to smell of mutton.
During his long watching and waiting one small thing happened which I shall have to mention because something important came of it later on. A lady called with some grapes for Digory’s Mother； and as the dining.room door was open， Digory couldn‘t help overhearing Aunt Letty and the lady as they talked in the hall.