There are some things, as you know, that cannot be explained.

But the curious thing is that no one ever asked for an explanation.

The grown-ups must have thought they knew all about it, which, of course, was very far from being the truth.
When the four people on the doorstep of the Grange had finished saying how glad they were to see each other--that day on the steps when Philip and Lucy came back from Polistarchia, Helen and Mr.Peter Graham came back from Belgium--Helen said: 'And we've brought you each the loveliest present.

Fetch them, Peter, there's a dear.' Mr.Peter Graham went to the stable-yard and came back followed by two long tan dachshunds, who rushed up to the children frisking and fawning in a way they well knew.
'Why Max! why Brenda!' cried Philip.

'Oh, Helen! are they for us ?' 'Yes, dear, of course they are,' said Helen; 'but how did you know their names ?' That was one of the things which Philip could not tell, then.
But he told Helen the whole story later, and she said it was wonderful, and how clever of him to make all that up, and that when he was a man he would be able to be an author and to write books.
'And do you know,' she said, 'I _did_ dream about the island--quite a long dream, only when I woke up I could only remember that I'd been there and seen you.