The Invisible Man. B2 / Человек-невидимка

Hall, “you'd prefer the clock-”

“Certainly,” said the stranger, “certainly-but, as a rule, I'd like to be alone and undisturbed.”

Mrs. Hall was about to leave the room. She told the visitor the carrier would bring his luggage over in the morning. “You are certain that is the earliest?” he said.

“I should explain,” he added, “that I am an experimental investigator.” “Indeed, sir,” said Mrs. Hall, much impressed. “And my baggage contains equipment and appliances.” “Very useful things indeed they are, sir,” said Mrs.

“I thought as much,” said Mrs. Hall to herself.

“My eyes-are sometimes so weak and painful that I have to shut myself up in the dark for hours. Lock myself up. At such times the slightest disturbance is a source of excruciating annoyance to me- these things should be understood.

“Certainly, sir,” said Mrs. Hall.

After Mrs. Hall had left the room, he remained standing in front of the fire, glaring at the clock being mended. Mr. Henfrey, being curious by nature, wanted to fall intoconversationwith the stranger. But the stranger stood there, perfectly silent and still. So still, it got on Henfrey's nerves. He felt alone in the room and looked up, and there was the bandaged head and huge blue lenses staring fixedly. It was so creepy to Mr. Henfrey that for a minute they remained staring blankly at one another.

He looked up and began, “The weather-”

“Why don't you finish and go?” said the figure, evidently in a state of suppressed rage. “All you've got to do is to fix the hour hand of the clock.”

“Certainly, sir-one minute more. I overlooked-” and Mr. Henfrey finished and left.

But he left feeling excessively annoyed. “Damn it!” said Mr. Henfrey to himself, trudging down the village through the thawing snow; “a man must do a clock at times, surely.

And again, “Can't a man look at you? – Ugly!”

At the corner he saw Mr. Hall, who had recently married the stranger's hostess at the “Coach and Horses.”

“I'd like to see a man's face if he stopped at my place,” said Henfrey. “But women are so trustful.”

“You don't know everything,” said Mr. Hall to his wife later, resolved to find out more about the personality of his guest.