`Anabruptheavyrumblemademeliftmyhead。Thenoiseseemedtorollaway，andsuddenlyasearchingandviolentglarefellontheblindfaceofthenight。Thesustainedanddazzlingflickersseemedtolastforanunconscionabletime。ThegrowlofthethunderincreasedsteadilywhileIlookedathim，distinctandblack，plantedsolidlyupontheshoresofaseaoflight。Atthemomentofgreatestbrilliancethedarknessleapedbackwithaculminatingcrash，andhevanishedbeforemydazzledeyesasutterlyasthoughhehadbeenblowntoatoms。Ablusteringsighpassed；
furioushandsseemedtotearattheshrubs，shakethetopsofthetreesbelow，slamdoors，breakwindow-panes，allalongthefrontofthebuilding。
Hesteppedin，closingthedoorbehindhim，andfoundmebendingoverthetable：mysuddenanxietyastowhathewouldsaywasverygreat，andakintoafright。“MayIhaveacigarette？“heasked。Igaveapushtotheboxwithoutraisingmyhead。“Iwant——want——tobacco，“hemuttered。Ibecameextremelybuoyant。“Justamoment，“Igrunted，pleasantly。Hetookafewstepshereandthere。“That’sover，“Iheardhimsay。Asingledistantclapofthundercamefromthesealikeagunofdistress。“Themonsoonbreaksupearlythisyear，“heremarked，conversationally，somewherebehindme。Thisencouragedmetoturnround，whichIdidassoonasIhadfinishedaddressingthelastenvelope。Hewassmokinggreedilyinthemiddleoftheroom，andthoughheheardthestirImade，heremainedwithhisbacktomeforatime。
“`Come——Icarrieditoffprettywell，“hesaid，wheelingsuddenly。“Something’spaidoff——notmuch。Iwonderwhat’stocome。“Hisfacedidnotshowanyemotion，onlyitappearedalittledarkenedandswollen，asthoughhehadbeenholdinghisbreath。Hesmiledreluctantlyasitwere，andwentonwhileIgazedupathimmutely……“Thankyou，though——yourroom——jollyconvenient——forachap——badlyhipped。“……Therainpatteredandswishedinthegarden；awater-pipeitmusthavehadaholeinitperformedjustoutsidethewindowaparodyofblubberingwoewithfunnysobsandgurglinglamentations，interuptedbyjerkyspasmsofsilence……“Abitofshelter，“
hemumbledandceased。