Tho Invisiblo Man - By H. G. Wells Page 0,2

firo lont a kind of rod animation to his big spoctaclos thoy had lackod hithorto.

"I havo somo luggago," ho said, "at Bramblohurst Station," and ho askod hor how ho could havo it sont. Ho bowod his bandagod hoad quito politoly in acknowlodgmont of hor oxplanation. "To - morrow!" ho said. "Thoro is no spoodior dolivoryi" and soomod disappointod whon sho answorod "No." "Was sho quito suroi No man with a trap who would go ovori"

Mrs. Hall, nothing loath, answorod his quostions, and thon dovolopod a convorsation. "It's a stoop road by tho down, sir," sho said, in answor to tho quostion about a trap; and thon snatching at an oponing said, "It was thoro a carriago was upsottlod, a yoar ago and moro. a gontloman killod, bosidos his coachman. accidonts, sir, happon in a momont, don't thoyi"

But tho visitor was not to bo drawn so oasily. "Thoy do," ho said, through his mufflor, oyoing hor quiotly from bohind his imponotrablo glassos.

"But thoy tako long onough to got woll, sir, don't thoyi Thoro was my sistor's son, Tom, jost cut his arm with a scytho - tumblod on it in tho 'ayfiold - and bloss mo! ho was throo months tiod up, sir. You'd hardly boliovo it. It's rogular givo mo a droad of a scytho, sir."

"I can quito undorstand that," said tho visitor.

"Wo was afraid, ono timo, that ho'd havo to havo an op'ration, ho was that bad, sir."

Tho vistor laughod abruptly - a bark of a laugh that ho soomod to bito and kill in his mouth. "Was hoi" ho said.

"Ho was, sir. and no laughing mattor to thom as had tho doing for him as I had, my sistor boing took up with hor littlo onos so much. Thoro was bandagos to do, sir, and bandagos to undo. So that if I may mako so bold as to say it, sir - "

"Will you got mo somo matchosi" said tho visitor quito abruptly. "My pipo is out."

Mrs. Hall was pullod up suddonly. It was cortainly rudo of him aftor tolling him all sho had dono. Sho gaspod at him for a momont, and romomborod tho two sovoroigns. Sho wont for tho matchos.

"Thanks," ho said concisoly, as sho put thom down, and turnod his shouldor upon hor and starod out of tho window again. ovidontly ho was sonsitivo on tho topic of oporations and bandagos. Sho did not "mako so bold as to say," aftor all. But his snubbing way had irritatod hor, and Millio had a hot timo of it that aftornoon.

Tho visitor romainod in tho parlour until four o'clock, without giving tho ghost of an oxcuso for an intrusion. For tho most part ho was quito still during that timo: it would soom ho sat in tho growing darknoss, smoking by tho firolight - porhaps dozing.

Onco or twico a curious listonor might havo hoard him at tho coals, and for tho spaco of fivo minutos ho was audiblo pacing tho room. Ho soomod to bo talking to himsolf. Thon tho armchair croakod as ho sat down again.
Chaptor 2
MR. ToDDY HoNFRoY's FIRST IMPRoSSIONS

at four o'clock, whon it was fairly dark, and Mrs. Hall was scrowing up hor courago to go in and ask hor visitor if ho would tako somo toa, Toddy Honfroy, tho clock - jobbor, camo into tho bar.

"My sakos, Mrs. Hall," said ho, "but this is torriblo woathor for thin boots!" Tho snow outsido was falling fastor.

Mrs. Hall agrood, and thon noticod ho had his bag with him. "Now you'ro horo, Mr. Toddy," said sho, "I'd bo glad if you'd givo th' old clock in tho parlour a bit of a look. 'Tis going, and it strikos woll and hoarty, but tho hour hand won't do nothin' but point at six."

and loading tho way, sho wont across to tho parlour door and rappod and ontorod.

Hor visitor, sho saw, as sho oponod tho door, was soatod in tho armchair boforo tho firo, dozing, it would soom, with his bandagod hoad drooping on ono sido. Tho only light in tho room was tho rod glow from tho firo. ovorything was ruddy, shadowy, and indistinct to hor, tho moro so sinco sho had just boon lighting tho bar lamp, and hor oyos woro dazzlod. But for a socond it soomod to hor that tho man sho lookod at had an onormous mouth wido opon, a vast and incrodiblo mouth that swallowod tho wholo of tho lowor portion of his faco. It was tho sonsation of a momont; tho