Once outside the church she indulged in a comfortable little burst of hysterics.

Then she felt better, and went to tell the parish clerk.

Before evening the news had spread all over the village.
"It was brought in a motor car," Mrs.Pikes at the shop informed her customers, "and Wilson's little boy says he heard them talking German." "There was a foreign-looking sort of a chap rode past our house on a bicycle the other day," volunteered the blacksmith's assistant.
"You never know where you are with strangers in war time," said another.
Everybody agreed that it was a mercy Mrs.Fisher had seen it when she did, and they were glad the church was a goodish way from the village.
The Woodward family generally started off for service almost directly after the bells began to ring.

On the following Sunday morning, however, they were considerably perplexed.

The familiar "ding-dong, ding-dong" which ought to have been pealing forth was not to be heard.