Thomas Rice comes to a room filled with a coffin, flowers, and two chairs. The coffin is for his old friend Charley who he used to be very close with. Charley’s aunt offers Thomas some food, but he declines. Eventually Thomas is joined by Charley’s wife, Louellla, who regards Thomas harshly. They both sit in the chairs in the room and stay there quietly, holding a vigil for Charley through the night. Charley asks if the house is full and Louella says it is, with people who all knew Charlie and are spending the night before the funeral. Thomas remembers Charley as the lively friend he had from childhood and recalls all the girls that Charley had been engaged with in the past. Thomas remembers that he had liked Louella first and Charley was not interested in her, but eventually Charley and Louella fell for each other and Louella became uncomfortable with Thomas’s presence. Charley had told Thomas about how Louella’s long teeth had been exciting when they kissed. Thomas also remembers pressuring Charley to be a bad husband out of revenge against the two of them. Thomas thinks that Louella might have pushed her husband towards death with her harsh words, but she seems deep in grief and she flings herself to the side of the coffin and begins to cry. Thomas begins to comfort her by putting his arms around her and speaking softly to her. He feels his heart melt a little bit as she falls into his chest and cries for a while. They suddenly begin to kiss and the lamp burns out. Thomas remembers that there is nowhere in the house for them to go and so they fall onto the flowers on the floor and begin to kiss again. He feels her teeth on his neck. The next morning they wake at dawn and rearrange the room and prepare for the funeral.