Christianadidnotwearmuchofanything：indeeditwassaidthatthedresswhichtheStageManagerhadoriginallyproposedforherhadbeenconsideredinadequateevenbytheLordChamberlain，butthisisnotthecase。WithallthesedelinquenciesuponmyminditwasnaturalthatIshouldfeelconvincedofsinwhileplayingchesswhichIhatewiththegreatDrSkinnerofRoughborough——thehistorianofAthensandeditorofDemosthenes。DrSkinner，moreover，wasoneofthosewhopridethemselvesonbeingabletosetpeopleattheireaseatonce，andIhadbeensittingontheedgeofmychairalltheevening。ButIhavealwaysbeenveryeasilyoverawedbyaschoolmaster。
Thegamehadbeenalongone，andathalf-pastnine，whensuppercamein，wehadeachofusafewpiecesremaining。“Whatwillyoutakeforsupper，DrSkinner？”saidMrsSkinnerinasilveryvoice。
Hemadenoanswerforsometime，butatlastinatoneofalmostsuperhumansolemnity，hesaid，first，“Nothing。”andthen“Nothingwhatever。”
Byandby，however，IhadasensecomeovermeasthoughIwerenearertheconsummationofallthingsthanIhadeveryetbeen。Theroomseemedtogrowdark，asanexpressioncameoverDrSkinner’sface，whichshowedthathewasabouttospeak。Theexpressiongatheredforce，theroomgrewdarkeranddarker。“Stay。”heatlengthadded，andIfeltthathereatanyratewasanendtoasuspensewhichwasrapidlybecomingunbearable。“Stay——Imaypresentlytakeaglassofcoldwater——andasmallpieceofbreadandbutter。”
Ashesaidtheword“butter“hisvoicesanktoahardlyaudiblewhisper；thentherewasasighasthoughofreliefwhenthesentencewasconcluded，andtheuniversethistimewassafe。