The Invisible Man. B2 / Человек-невидимка

“The sooner you get those things in the better. Hurry up!”

When the first box was carried into the parlour, the stranger flung himself upon it eagerly, and began to unpack it, scattering the straw on Mrs. Hall's carpet. And from it he began to produce bottles-little bottles containing powders, small and slender bottles with coloured and white fluids, blue bottles labeled Poison, bottles with round bodies and slender necks, large green glass bottles, large white glass bottles-putting them in rows everywhere.

The stranger went to the window and set to work, not bothering in the least about the litter of straw, the fire which had gone out, the box of books outside or the trunks and his other luggage that had gone upstairs.

When Mrs. Hall brought his dinner, he was already so absorbed in his work that he did not hear her until she had put the tray on the table.

Then he half turned his head and immediately turned it away again. But she saw he had removed his glasses; and it seemed to her that his eye sockets were extraordinarily hollow.

“I wish you wouldn't come in without knocking,” he said in the tone of abnormal exasperation that seemed so characteristic of him.

“I knocked, but – ”

“Perhaps you did. But in my investigations-my really very urgent and necessary investigations-the slightest disturbance-I must ask you-”

“Certainly, sir. You can turn the lock any time.

“A very good idea,” said the stranger.

“This straw, sir, if I might remark-” “Don't. If the straw makes trouble put it down on the bill.” He was so odd, standing there, so aggressive, with a bottle in one hand and a test tube in the other, that Mrs. Hall was quite alarmed.

All the afternoon he worked in silence with the door locked. But once there was a sound of bottles ringing together and the smash of a bottle flung violently down, and then a rapid pacing along the room.

“I can't go on,” he was raving. “All my life it may take me!.. Patience! Patience indeed!.. Fool!”

When Mrs. Hall took in his tea she saw broken glass in the corner of the room under the mirror, and a golden stain that had been carelessly wiped. She drew attention to it.

“Put it down on the bill,” snapped her visitor.