The book begins with "The Time Traveller" speaking to a group of associates gathered in his smoking room for a discussion and dinner. The narrator is present, along with a group of half a dozen men including the Medical Man, the Provincial Mayor and the Psychologist. On this night, the Time Traveller and the gentlemen are discussing the dimensions and forms of matter and in particular the fourth dimension, time. Some of the men skeptically accept his idea of a fourth dimension, and somewhat understand his assurances time is only a form of space. However, when he presents his belief that man can travel through time, both backwards and forwards at their own will, the group rejects this notion almost entirely. In response to this, the Time Traveller brings from his laboratory a model version of a time machine for a demonstration. It is small, no larger than a small clock, made of delicately worked ivory and quartz. The machine disappears, and the Time Traveller says that it has remained within the same physical space, but disappeared because it has gone to a different time. Most of the men still do not accept that time travel is possible, believing that the time traveller just played a trick, or used a slight of hand. To really convince them Time Traveller shows the men the full-scale version of his Time Machine, asserting that with it, he will explore time. The narrator is the only one who seems unsure to reject the Time Traveller's ideas. .
Chapter Two.
This chapter begins with the narrator continuing with his description of the Time Traveller, explaining that the men's skepticism came from the Time Traveller's reputation for being clever and sometimes sneaky. Thursday rolls around again, and another group of men gather for their weekly engagement at his house for dinner and discussion. Only three of the men from last Thursday's party are there, the narrator, the Doctor and the Psychologist.