Chapters 1 and 2Summary The time traveler is at his house and talks to a group of men that includes the narrator. He is giving a lecture on the fourth dimension. He tells them that the cube exists not only in space, but also in time. Time is the fourth dimension. Many of them are sceptical. The Time Traveler claims that one should be able to move in the fourth dimension just as one can move in the other three. After all, he observes, we are constantly moving forward in time, why not move faster or slower or even backwards? He makes a miniature time machine, the size of a watch, made of ivory and crystal. The Time Traveler explains that one lever sends the machine into the future and the other sends it into the past. He asks one of the guests to push the lever forward and the car disappears in a short burst. He states that the machine is now sliding into the future. The guests ask why they can't see it yet, since they too are moving into the future, and the Time Traveler explains that it is moving too fast to see, like the spokes of a wheel or a speeding bullet. The guests are amazed. The Traveler then shows them a much larger machine, with which he intends to explore time. The narrator concludes that not many of the guests believed the Time Traveler, as he was a very intelligent man, likely to play elaborate pranks. The narrator returns to his house for dinner the following week. Among the guests are some of the men from the previous week and some new guests. They were told to start dinner without the host. When he enters, he is incredibly dusty and dishevelled. He drinks some champagne quickly, then goes to wash himself. The narrator suggests to the other guests that their host has traveled through time. The others are incredulous and respond with sarcastic comments. When the Time Traveler is finally ready to tell his story, the guests quickly raise objections. The Time Traveler says he has no energy to argue and will only speak if everyone agrees not to interrupt. The guests agree and sit with increasingly rapt attention as the story begins. Chapters 3 and 4Summary The time traveler gets into his car and pushes the drive lever slightly. He feels dizzy and when he looks at the clock in his laboratory he sees that five hours have passed. Then he presses the advance lever a little more.