A woman hosts a late-night gathering in a quiet room of a large house, receiving her husband, a young doctor and three longtime acquaintances. She guides the conversation until she announces that she faces imminent death and has summoned them to take leave, prompting reactions that range from ridicule to awkward compassion. Small domestic negotiations, rivalries and suppressed affections surface as she dispenses favors and reproves guests while preserving composure. The piece examines mortality, the performance of social roles and how a deliberate farewell can reveal character and unsettle entrenched relationships.