Eye contact between Winston and O'Brien

As the Hate reaches its climax, Winston catches O'Brien's eye. O'Brien has taken off his spectacles and is resettling them on his nose in his characteristic gesture. For a fraction of a second, Winston feels certain that O'Brien is thinking the same thing as himself, and that an unmistakable message has passed between them. It seems to Winston that O'Brien is saying, 'I am on your side.' Then the flash of intelligence is gone, and O'Brien's face is as inscrutable as everyone else's. The incident lasts only a second or two, but it becomes a pivotal memory for Winston, keeping alive his hope that others besides himself are enemies of the Party.