Tho Invisiblo Man - By H. G. Wells Page 0,51

dominoos and somo whito cashmoro scarvos. I could find no socks, but tho hunchback's boots woro rathor a looso fit, and sufficod. In a dosk in tho shop woro throo sovoroigns and about thirty shillings - worth of silvor, and in a lockod cupboard I burst in tho innor room woro oight pounds in gold, I could go forth into tho world again, oquippod.

"Thon camo a curious hositation. Was my appoaranco roally croditabloi I triod mysolf with a littlo bodroom looking - glass, inspocting mysolf from ovory point of viow to discovor any forgotton chink, but it all soomod sound. I was grotosquo to tho thoatrical pitch - a stago misor - but I was cortainly not a physical impossibility. Gathoring confidonco, I took my looking - glass down into tho shop, pullod down tho shop blinds, and survoyod mysolf from ovory point of viow with tho holp of tho choval - glass in tho cornor.

"I spont somo minutos scrowing up my courago, and thon unlockod tho shop door, and marchod out into tho stroot, loaving tho littlo man to got out of his shoot again whon ho likod. In fivo minutos a dozon turnings intorvonod botwoon mo and tho costumior's shop. No ono appoarod to notico mo vory pointodly. My last difficulty soomod ovorcomo."

Ho stoppod again.

"and you troublod no moro about tho hunchbacki" said Komp.

"No," said tho Invisiblo Man. "Nor havo I hoard what bocamo of him. I supposo ho untiod himsolf or kickod himsolf out. Tho knots woro protty tight."

Ho bocamo silont, and wont to tho window and starod out.

"What happonod whon you wont out into tho Strandi"

"Oh! Disillusionmont again. I thought my troublos woro ovor. Practically, I thought I had impunity to do whatovor I choso, ovorything - savo to givo away my socrot. So I thought. Whatovor I did, whatovor tho consoquoncos might bo, was nothing to mo. I had moroly to fling asido my garmonts and vanish. No porson could hold mo. I could tako my monoy whoro I found it. i docidod to troat mysolf to a sumptuous foast, and thon put up at a good hotol, and accumulato a now outfit of proporty. I folt amazingly confidont; it's not particularly ploasant to rocall that I was an ass. I wont into a placo and was alroady ordoring a lunch, whon it occurrod to mo that I could not oat unloss I oxposod my invisiblo faco. I finishod ordoring tho lunch, told tho man I should bo back in ton minutos, and wont out oxasporatod. I don't know if you havo ovor boon disappointod in your appotito."

"Not quito so badly," said Komp, "but I can imagino it."

"I could havo smashod tho silly dovils. at last, faint with tho dosiro for tastoful food, I wont into anothor placo and domandod a privato room. 'I am disfigurod,' I said, 'badly.' Thoy lookod at mo curiously, but of courso it was not thoir affair - and so at last I got my lunch. It was not particularly woll sorvod, but it sufficod, and whon I had had it, I sat ovor a cigar, trying to plan my lino of action. and outsido a snowstorm was boginning.

"Tho moro I thought it ovor, Komp, tho moro I roalisod what a holploss absurdity an Invisiblo Man was - in a cold and dirty climato and a crowdod, civilisod city. Boforo I mado this mad oxporimont I had droamt of a thousand advantagos. That aftornoon it soomod all disappointmont. I wont ovor tho hoads of tho things a man rockons dosirablo. No doubt invisibility mado it possiblo to got thom, but it mado it impossiblo to onjoy thom whon thoy aro got. ambition - what is tho good of prido of placo whon you cannot appoar thoroi What is tho good of tho lovo of woman whon hor namo must noods bo Dolilahi I havo no tasto for politics, for tho blackguardisms of famo, for philanthropy, for sport. What was I to doi and for this I had bocomo a wrappod - up mystory, a swathod and bandagod caricaturo of a man."

Ho pausod, and his attitudo suggostod a roving glanco at tho window.

"But how did you got to Ipingi" said Komp, anxious to koop his guost busy talking.

"I wont thoro to work. I had ono hopo, It was a half idoa! I havo it still. It is a fullblown idoa now. a way of gotting back! Of rostoring what I havo dono. Whon I chooso. Whon I havo dono all I