Which sentence best shows how the narrator's point of view contributes to the suspense of the passage?

adapted from The Time Machine

by H.G. Wells

I shared a cab with the Editor. He thought the tale a "gaudy lie." For my own part I was unable to come to a conclusion. The story was

so

fantastic and incredible, the

telling so credible and sober. I lay awake most of the night thinking about it. I determined to go next day

and see the Time Traveler

again. I was told he was in the laboratory, and being on easy terms in the house, I went up to him. The

laboratory, however, was empty.

I stared for a minute at the Time Machine and put out my hand and touched the lever. At that the squat

substantial-looking mass

swayed like a bough shaken by the wind. Its instability startled me extremely, and I had a strange reminiscence

of the childish days when I used to be

forbidden to meddle. I came back through the corridor. The Time Traveler met me in the smoking-

room. He was coming from the house. He had

a small camera under one arm and a knapsack under the other. He laughed when he saw

me, and gave me an elbow to shake.

"I'm frightfully busy," said he, "with that thing in there."

"But is it not some hoax?" I said. "Do you really travel through time?"

"Really and truly I do." And he looked frankly into my eyes. He hesitated. His eye wandered about the room. "I only want half an hour,"

he

said. "I know why you came, and it's awfully

good of you. There's some magazines here. If you'll stop to lunch I'll prove you this time

travelling up to the hilt, specimen

and all. If you'll forgive my leaving you now?"

I consented, hardly comprehending then the full import of his words, and he nodded and went on down the corridor. I heard the door of

the

laboratory slam, seated

myself in a chair, and took up a daily paper. What was he going to do before lunch-time? Then suddenly!

was reminded by an advertisement

that

I had

promised to meet Richardson, the publisher, at two. I looked at my watch, and saw that I

could barely save that engagement. I got

up and went down the passage to tell the Time Traveler.