In which the Bishop, a man of profound reflection and piety, is ensconced in his modest abode, engaged in his perennial labour of cataloguing human duties, while his sister and faithful housekeeper tend to the quiet hearth, their conversation turning to unease about a shadowy presence in the town. Despite the flicker of impending danger whispered in the air and calls for prudence, the evening unfolds with gentle warmth and the simple decorum of domestic life, until a sudden rap at the door interrupts the fragile calm.