The narrator is overwhelmed with emotion when she realizes that the man she wants to hide from is actually her friend. He embraces her and says that he understands her. He offers to shovel the snow in exchange for a discount on their hotel bill. He also offers to give her a bath in return for the help. The narrator asks if they can move to a different room. The repairman won't come today either, so they'll have to wait until the next day. She also asks if there's a way to get firewood from the back mountain without burning it. She says that her husband went there yesterday to chop firewood. She'll bring them right away.