Sir David Suchet

When it first stood under the danger light, he went on putting his dark hair back from his head and drawing his hands outward across and across his temples in an extremity of feverish distress.

Why not tell me where that accident was to happen, if it must happen?

Why not tell me how it could be averted, if it could have been averted?

When on its second coming it hid its face, why not tell me instead, she's going to die?

Let them keep her at home.

If it came on those two occasions only to show me that its warnings were true, and so to prepare me for the third,

Why not warn me, plainly, now?

And I, Lord, help me, a mere poor signalman on this solitary station, why not go to somebody with credit to be believed and power to act?

When I saw him in this state,

I saw that for the poor man's sake as well as for the public safety, what I had to do for the time was to compose his mind.

Therefore, setting aside all question of reality or unreality between us, I represented to him that whoever thoroughly discharged his duty must do well.

and that at least it was his comfort that he understood his duty, though he did not understand these confounding appearances.

In this effort I succeeded far better than in the attempt to reason him out of his conviction.

He became calm.

The occupations incidental to his post as the night advanced began to make larger demands on his attention, and I left him at two in the morning.

I'd offered to stay through the night, but he would not hear of it.

That I, more than once, looked back at the red light as I ascended the pathway, that I did not like the red light, and that I should have slept but poorly if my bed had been under it, I see no reason to conceal.

But what ran most in my thoughts was the consideration how ought I to act, having become the recipient of this disclosure.

I had proved the man to be intelligent, vigilant, painstaking, and exact.

But how long might he remain so in his state of mind?