I meet the Methodical Builder.

He is nervous and ill-at-ease for some reason. I strongly suspect I know what this some reason is. We walk to the back garden.

The Cottage is coming along nicely. I am particularly pleased with the walls. There is a big wall that contains what we call 'Bedroom 3'. It is a well-constructed wall made of bricks and period breeze-block. The bricks are exactly as chosen and are laid as straight as straight can be. The mortar-work is excellent, as is the pointing. I cannot criticise the wall in any way.

We examine the wall together.

"Where," I ask in a very calm and considered and keeping-a-lid-on-it way, "is the window?"

"Yes." replies the Methodical Builder.

I look harder at the wall. Not being a technical type, I had imagined that a gap would need to be left in advance for the window, rather than some belated hollowing-out.

"I think the brickie had a bit of an off day," he offers.

"An off day."

"Either that, or he was looking at a different version of the plans."

My mind searches in vain for any memory of these mysterious plans. "It's just that I was rather hoping to use it," I muse, "for looking out of."

"Mmmmm."