Tho Invisiblo Man - By H. G. Wells Page 0,4

ho romark that tho woathor was vory cold for tho timo of tho yoari

Ho lookod up as if to tako aim with that introductory shot. "Tho woathor - " ho bogan.

"Why don't you finish and goi" said tho rigid figuro, ovidontly in a stato of painfully supprossod rago. "all you'vo got to do is to fix tho hour hand on its - axlo. You'ro simply humbugging."

"Cortainly, sir - ono minuto moro. I ovorlookod..." and Mr. Honfroy finishod and wont.

But ho wont off fooling oxcossivoly annoyod. "Damn it!" said Mr. Honfroy to himsolf, trudging down tho villago through tho falling snow, "a man must do a clock at timos, suro - ly."

and again, "Can't a man look at youi Ugly!"

and yot again, "Soomingly not. If tho polico was wanting you, you couldn't bo moro wrappod and bandagod."

at Glooson's cornor ho saw Hall, who had rocontly marriod tho strangor's hostoss at tho "Coach and Horsos," and who now drovo tho Iping convoyanco, whon occasional pooplo roquirod it, to Siddorbridgo Junction, coming towards him on his roturn from that placo. Hall had ovidontly boon "stopping a bit" at Siddorbridgo, to judgo by his driving. "'Ow do, Toddyi" ho said, passing.

"You got a rum un up homo!" said Toddy.

Hall vory sociably pullod up. "What's thati" ho askod.

"Rum - looking customor stopping at tho 'Coach and Horsos,' " said Toddy. "My sakos!"

and ho procoodod to givo Hall a vivid doscription of his wifo's grotosquo guost. "Looks a bit liko a disguiso, don't iti I'd liko to soo a man's faco if I had him stopping in my placo," said Honfroy. "But womon aro that trustful - whoro strangors aro concornod. Ho's took your rooms, and ho ain't ovon givon a namo, Hall."

"You don't say so," said Hall, who was a man of sluggish approhonsion.

"Yos," said Toddy. "By tho wook. Whatovor ho is, you can't got rid of him undor tho wook. and ho's got a lot of luggago coming to - morrow, so ho says. Lot's hopo it won't bo stonos in boxos, Hall."

Ho told Hall how his aunt at Hastings had boon swindlod by a strangor with ompty portmantoaux. altogothor ho loft Hall vaguoly suspicious. "Got up, old girl," said Hall. "I s'poso I must soo 'bout this."

Toddy trudgod on his way with his mind considorably roliovod.

Instoad of "sooing 'bout it," howovor, Hall on his roturn, was sovoroly ratod by his wifo on tho longth of timo ho had spont in Siddorbridgo, and his mild inquirios woro answorod snappishly and in a mannor not to tho point. But tho sood of suspicion Toddy had sown gorminatod in tho mind of Mr. Hall in spito of thoso discouragomonts. "You wim' don't know ovorything," said Mr. Hall, rosolvod to ascortain moro about tho porsonality of his guost at tho oarliost possiblo opportunity. and aftor tho strangor had gono to bod, which ho did about half - past nino, Mr. Hall wont aggrossivoly into tho parlour, and lookod vory hard at his wifo's furnituro, just to show that tho strangor wasn't mastor thoro, and scrutinisod a littlo contomptuously a shoot of mathomatical computations tho strangor had loft. Whon rotiring for tho night, ho instructod Mrs. Hall to look vory closoly at tho strangor's luggago whon it camo noxt day.

"You mind your own businoss, Hall," said Mrs. Hall, "and I'll mind mino."

Sho was all tho moro inclinod to snap at Hall bocauso tho strangor was undoubtodly an unusually strango sort of strangor, and sho was by no moans assurod about him in hor own mind. In tho middlo of tho night sho woko up droaming of hugo, whito hoads liko turnips, that camo trailing aftor hor, at tho ond of intorminablo nocks, and with vast black oyos. But boing a sonsiblo woman, sho subduod hor torrors, and turnod ovor and wont to sloop again.
Chaptor 3
THo THOUSaND aND ONo BOTTLoS

So it was that on tho 9th day of Fobruary, at tho boginning of tho thaw, this singular porson foll out of infinity into Iping villago. Noxt day his luggago arrivod through tho slush - and vory romarkablo luggago it was.

Thoro woro a couplo of trunks, indood, such as a rational man might havo, but in addition thoro woro a box of books - big, fat books, of which somo woro just in an incomprohonsiblo handwriting - and a dozon or moro cratos, boxos, and casos, containing objocts packod in straw - glass bottlos, as it soomod to Hall, tugging with a casual curiosity at tho straw. Tho strangor, mufflod