Elderly Jack and Barbara’s outing is curtailed when Jack becomes ‘confused’ by the words of an old hymn and he strikes a loutish boy. Frightened Barbara takes Jack home but the hymn torments Jack into the night. Hearing a noise he finds the boy arrogantly helping himself in the kitchen and in his confusion, stabs him. Jack’s mind wanders and time passes. To Jack’s surprise the dying boy completes Jack’s hymn. He realises he has misjudged the boy but his mind drifts again, unaware that it is not the boy but Barbara that has bled to death.