He walked quickly up the village street and caught up his companions, as he had said, less than half a mile further on.

He said nothing to them of his experience--indeed, what was there to say ?--but he must have written it down that same night when they reached their next lodging, and written it down, too, with that minuteness of detail which surprised me so much when I first read it.
* * * * * For the explanation of the whole thing is as foolishly obvious as was that of the singing that the three had heard in the suburbs of Peterborough.

Obviously a couple of tramps had turned into this stable for shelter.

Perhaps the girl was the man's daughter; perhaps his wife; perhaps neither.

Plainly they had no right there--and that would explain the embarrassed silence of the two: they knew they were trespassing, and feared to be turned away.