She heard the door close and the room fall silent.

The room fell silent and then he looked up again.

He fell silent while the voice at the other end said something.

We all fell silent, in order to hear his words.

And then we both fell silent, looking at one another.

The room fell silent at the change in his voice.

He went to say something, then saw the look in her face and fell silent.

He fell silent for a moment, his eyes lost in thought.

They fell silent for a while, looking out at the light.

At the sound of his voice, the others fell silent.

He fell silent for a moment and looked at her.

The men all fell silent and turned back toward him.

In the end, when she was done and fell silent, they did not make love again.

The room fell silent as everyone looked to the King to see what he would do.

Without the money, he says, the collection could fall silent.

For a very long moment after he had fallen silent.

Our three young children had fallen silent in the back.

His words have caused the group to fall silent again.

No one else in the place moved, and the room fell silent.

Everybody in the room fell silent and looked at the President.

And then they fell silent, because there was the other sound.

After that, they all fell silent for a long time.

We talked for a little; but he would fall silent, and look at me.

He fell silent again, the current moment less real to him than the past.

They both fell silent then, perhaps because there was nothing left to say.