Mr Winkle was asleep. Mr Tupman knew about sleeping after dinner in this way, and he knew that as soon as Mr Winkle awoke he would go straight to his bed. Mr Tupman could not make up his mind. 'Fill your glass, and pass the wine,' said the visitor, who did not seem tired at all.

Mr Tupman did as the stranger asked; and by the time he had finished his wine, he had decided. 'Winkle's bedroom is inside mine,' said Mr Tupman; 'If I woke him up now, I couldn't make him understand that I wanted to borrow his dinner suit. But I know he has one; and if you wore it to the ball, and took it off when we returned, I could put it back, and Mr Winkle would never need to know what had happened.'

'Excellent,' said the stranger, 'a wonderful plan - though its a very strange situation - I have fourteen dinner suits in my suitcases, and still I have to wear another man's clothes- but its a very good plan.'

'We must buy our tickets,' said Mr Tupman. 'It's not worthwhile each of us finding half a guinea,' said the stranger, 'Let's toss to see who will pay. I call; you toss - I call woman! magical woman,' and down came the coin with the dragon (which was called 'the woman') uppermost.