In which a group of village folk gather beneath the observatory to catch sight of the comet and gossip with familiar bluntness, while St. Cleeve and Lady Constantine find themselves precariously ensnared by both their surroundings and the overheard words of their neighbours. The night’s damp interruptions and whispered confidences embroil them in new and stirring reflections on companionship, duty, and the intimacies unseen by the casual observer.