{Was standing and warming himself} ((886e) hest(9373) kai
thermainomenos). Two periphrastic imperfects precisely as in
verse  18 , vivid renewal of the picture drawn there. John alone
gives the examination of Jesus by Annas ( 18:19-24 ) which he
places between the first and the second denials by Peter. Each of
the Four Gospels gives three denials, but it is not possible to
make a clear parallel as probably several people joined in each
time. This time there was an hour's interval ( Lu 22:59 ). The
question and answer are almost identical with verse  17  and "put
in a form which almost _suggested_ that Peter should say 'No'"
(Bernard), a favourite device of the devil in making temptation
attractive.