In which Kit’s mother and the restless single gentleman embark on a late-night journey marked by his anxious fidgetings and well-meaning ministrations, reaching a festive town where startling news about a wedding and the whereabouts of a young girl stirs the assembled crowd. The single gentleman’s hopes and sorrows intertwine as he learns of the vanished child, while the world outside buzzes with rumours and speculation, unaware of the quiet vigil kept in the old church porch.