since forgotten the one which they
themselves witnessed, and, indeed, there is no particular reason why
they should remember it. Of the other Frank seems to have said nothing
to his friends. Both of them, however, are perfectly insignificant--they
concern, respectively, only a few invisible singers and a couple of
quite ordinary human beings. They are described with a wholly
unnecessary wealth of detail in Frank's diary, though without comment,
and I write them down here for that reason, and that reason only.

The first was as follows:

They were approaching a certain cathedral town, not a hundred miles from
London, and as the evening was clear and dry, though frosty, and money
was low, they determined to pass the night in a convenient brick-yard
about half a mile out of the town.

There was a handy shed where various implements were kept; the Major, by
the help of a little twisted wire, easily unfastened the door. They
supped, cooking a little porridge over a small fire which they were able
to make without risk, and lay down to sleep after a pipe or two.

Tramps go to sleep early when they mean business, and it could not have
been more than about eleven o'clock at night when Frank awoke with the
sense that he had slept long and deeply. He seems to have lain there,
content and quiet enough, watching the last ember dying in the brazier
where they had made their fire.... There was presently a stir from the
further corner of the shed, a match was struck, and Frank, from his
improvised pillow, beheld the Major's face suddenly illuminated by the
light with which he was kindling his pipe once more. He watched the face
with a sort of artistic interest for a few seconds--the drooping
shadows, the apparently cavernous eyes, the deep-shaded bar of the
mustache across the face. In the wavering light cast from below it
resembled the face of a vindictive beast. Then the Major whispered,
between his puffs:

"Frankie?"

"Yes."

"Oh! you're awake too, are you?"

"Yes."

A minute later, though they had spoken only in whispers, Gertie drew a
long sighing breath from her corner of the shed and they could hear that
she, too, sat up and cleared her throat.

"Well, this is a pretty job," said the Major jovially to the company
generally. "What's the matter with us?"

Frank said nothing. He lay still, with a sense of extraordinary content
and comfort, and heard Gertie presently lie down again. The Major smoked
steadily.

Then